Pakistani intelligence agencies’ arrest of Daesh-Khorasan (Daesh-K) spokesperson and propaganda chief Sultan Aziz Azam significantly weakened the group’s operational and media capabilities, according to a United Nations report.

The 16th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team said Azam, founder of Daesh-K’s central propaganda network, the Al-Azam Foundation, was arrested from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region on May 16, 2025.

The report said the arrest led to the suspension of the group’s media and propaganda activities.

The UN noted that Pakistan’s recent high-profile counterterrorism actions disrupted Daesh-K’s organisational structure at the global level.

Several planned attacks were foiled, fighter numbers declined, and key commanders and ideological figures were neutralised.

The report said the arrests of Azam and senior leader Abu Yasir al-Turki in May 2025 resulted in a marked reduction in Daesh-K’s operational strength.

Major propaganda platforms, including “Voice of Khorasan”, were also shut down.

The UN report identified attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Afghan soil as Pakistan’s most immediate security challenge.

It added that the continued presence of multiple international terrorist groups in Afghanistan poses a persistent threat to regional stability.

Describing Pakistan as a frontline country most affected by terrorism, the report said sustained intelligence-led operations have significantly degraded militant networks and limited their ability to operate and recruit.