By The South Asia Times

KABUL, Afghanistan -  Senior Al-Qaeda leaders, including the group's leader Saif al-Adl, have reportedly moved from Iran to Afghanistan following the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, according to Afghan sources familiar with the developments.

Two senior officials in Kabul told The South Asia Times on condition of anonymity that approximately 45 families of senior Al-Qaeda figures had arrived in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban had relocated some of them to the eastern province of Ghazni, while others were staying in secure areas of the capital, Kabul.

One official said several families had been accommodated in newly constructed apartment buildings in Ghazni, where the Taliban had deployed strict security measures. Access to the areas where the families were staying was restricted, the official added.

 The South Asia Times contacted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid for comment but received no response despite repeated requests.

A second official in Kabul told The South Asia Times that Al-Qaeda members already present in Afghanistan had joined forces with Ittehadul Mujahideen, an alliance of Pakistani militant groups operating in the eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Khost.

The alliance includes the group led by Pakistani militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who is originally from Waziristan.

According to the official, Al-Qaeda and Ittehadul Mujahideen are now jointly conducting attacks inside Pakistan.

The alliance claimed responsibility for a September suicide attack near a mosque at the Police Lines compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The attack and subsequent fighting killed at least 23 people, including 17 police officers and six civilians, according to Pakistani authorities.

The incident highlighted the continuing threat posed by militant groups operating from Afghanistan.

- Regional security concerns

Security experts say the reported relocation of Al-Qaeda leaders and their families from Iran to Afghanistan, together with the group's alleged cooperation with Pakistani militants, could pose a serious threat to regional security.

The developments also raise questions about the Afghan Taliban's commitments under the 2020 Doha agreement with the United States, which included assurances that Afghan territory would not be used by terrorist groups to threaten other countries.

The Taliban has repeatedly denied allowing Afghan territory to be used for attacks against other countries. Pakistan, however, has accused the Afghan authorities of providing sanctuary to militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks.

The reported relocation also raises questions about Iran's previous treatment of Al-Qaeda leaders. Saif al-Adl, widely regarded by the United Nations and several governments as Al-Qaeda's de facto leader, had been reported to be living in Iran for years.

The US State Department has identified al-Adl as a senior Al-Qaeda leader and offers a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his capture.

The reported movement of Al-Qaeda leaders comes amid broader concerns about the presence of foreign militant organizations in Afghanistan.

United Nations monitoring reports have documented the presence of several international militant groups in the country, including the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), also known as the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is associated with Uyghur militants from China.

The reports have also raised concerns about the presence of Central Asian militants, including Uzbek fighters.

An Afghan Taliban source told The South Asia Times that Uzbek militants had moved to northern Afghanistan, particularly Badakhshan, Balkh and Kunduz provinces. The source claimed that some Uzbek fighters had been incorporated into Taliban security forces and were performing duties alongside Taliban personnel.

There have also been reports of attacks in border areas of Tajikistan involving militants based in Afghanistan, raising concerns among Central Asian governments and Russia.

- Iranian-backed Afghan fighters

Separately, reports in recent years have documented the movement of Afghan fighters associated with Iran's Fatemiyoun Brigade, which was recruited largely from Afghan refugees and fought alongside Iranian-backed forces in Syria.

Some reports have raised concerns that fighters could return to Afghanistan following changes in the Syrian conflict. However, claims that approximately 1,500 militants recently moved from Iran to Afghanistan, including their alleged sectarian composition, could not be independently verified.

The reported relocation of Al-Qaeda leaders, the alleged cooperation with Pakistani militant groups, and the continued presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan underscore the country's importance as a regional security concern.