The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), elements of the Al Qaeda (including affiliate AQIS), and terrorist groups targeting Islamabad, such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have continued to use the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region as a safe haven, according to a new US State Department report. In 2020, the Taliban and the affiliated Haqqani Network continued attacks targeting Afghan civilians and government officials.

Drawing largely from information compiled in 2019, the UN Security Council reported on May 27 that relations between Al Qaeda and Taliban remained close. IS-K continued to perpetrate high-profile attacks against civilians, journalists, religious minorities, and the international community. Terrorist groups continued to torture, recruit, and use child soldiers and target religious minority groups and journalists.