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Welcome to The Durand Dispatch, a monthly review of security, militancy, and geopolitical developments across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the broader South/Central Asian landscape. This issue provides an overview of key events that took place during April 2025, highlighting their potential regional and international security implications.
Unfortunately, South Asia witnessed a serious deterioration in regional stability, with tensions between India and Pakistan reaching a new crisis point following the devastating Pahalgam attack in April – where militants killed 26 civilians in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Kashmir. In the aftermath, both nuclear-armed countries severed diplomatic ties, closed borders, and suspended bilateral agreements, with India alleging Pakistani state complicity while Islamabad firmly rejected the claims. Additionally, a series of regional and international developments reveal an evolving geopolitical landscape where multiple actors pursue their strategic interests across the region: the landmark U.S. extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India, Russia's removal of the Taliban from its terrorist list, and Central Asia’s strategic realignment. Counterterrorism cooperation remains important but is increasingly influenced by changing regional alignments. This issue also examines security vulnerabilities in the region, such as the proliferation of sophisticated American weapons among militant groups, as well as propaganda dissemination by various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).
As always, we strive to provide measured analysis while incorporating diverse perspectives on these complex regional dynamics.
In the News: Regional & International Perspectives
Strategic Messaging: Key Messages & Narratives
Miscellaneous: New Reports & Articles
Download the full issue here.
In the News
Regional
Pakistan and India Tensions
Pakistan’s Counterterrorism & Security Operations
Water Wars: Pakistan's Compounding Crisis
Pakistan–Afghanistan Relations
Taliban Revive Public Executions, Faces International Backlash
International
U.S. Extradites Alleged Mumbai Attack Co-Conspirator
Russia Moves to Remove Taliban from Terrorist List
Weapons, Terror, and Trade: U.S.-Pakistan Relations at a Crossroads
Central Asia’s Strategic Realignments: April’s Underrated Security Reset
Islamic State Supporter Sentenced for Recruitment and Obstruction
Pakistan's Multi-Vector Defense Diplomacy
Clerical Calls for Jihad Against Israel
Strategic Messaging
Tehrik-i-Taliban
Operational Surge and Expansion
Shaping Tribal Perceptions and Building Legitimacy
Urban Targeting
Mujallah Binnat: Mobilizing Women and Framing Resistance
Manzil: Deconstructing State Legitimacy; Zer e Nazar: Exploitation of Grievances; The Criterion: Accusing State Collusion and Ending Economic Ceasefire
Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent
Leveraging Gaza and Muslim Suffering for Recruitment
As-Sahab Media: Messaging Discipline and Collective Action
Jihadi Yaadain Series: Glorifying Martyrdom
Nawa e Ghazwa e Hind Magazine: Historicizing Jihad and Broadening Appeal
Islamic State Khorasan Province
Promoting Jihad, Soliciting Financial Support and Discrediting Rivals
Delegitimizing the Taliban
Foreign Fighter Recruitment
Historical Religious Figures
Cyber Vulnerabilities
Baloch Ethno-Nationalist Organisations
Sustained Attacks and Targeted Killings
Glorification of Suicide Bombers and Female Militants
Retaliatory Violence
Future Monitor
Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan
Jabhaat Al-Ribaat
Miscellaneous
Official Reports & Statements
Security & Governance
Militancy & Extremism
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