Pakistani Taliban

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
تحریک طالبان پاکستان
Taliban Movement of Pakistan
Also known asPakistani Taliban
(پاکستانی طالبان)
Leaders
  • Baitullah Mehsud †[1]
    (2007–2009)
  • Hakimullah Mehsud †[2][3]
    (2009–2013)
  • Mullah Fazlullah †[4]
    (2013–2018)
  • Noor Wali Mehsud
    (2018–present)
Dates of operationDecember 2007 – present
Allegiance Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (self-declared, publicly rejected by IEA)[5][6]
Group(s)
List
    • Jamaat-ul-Ahrar[a]
    • TNSM[b]
    • Lashkar-e-Islam[c]
    • Tariq Gidar Group
    • Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan[8]
    • Harakat-e-Inqilab-e-Islami
    • Ittihad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan
    • Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group[9]
    • Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad[10]
MotivesIslamic Fundamentalism[11][12][13]
Pashtun nationalism
Pashtunwali[14]
Deobandi[15][16]
Sectarianism[17]
Separatism[18][19][20][21]
HeadquartersEastern Afghanistan[22]
IdeologyDeobandi jihadism[15][16]
Islamic fundamentalism[11][12][13][23]
Pashtunwali[14]
Sectarianism[17]
Separatism[18][19][20][21]
Anti-Shi'ism
Notable attacks2008 Barcelona terror plot, 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt, 2010 Sikh beheadings, kidnapping of Swiss tourists in Balochistan, 2014 Peshawar school massacre, attack on Malala Yousafzai, 2016 Lahore suicide bombing, Lahore church bombings, Dasu bus attack
Size
  • 25,000 (2014)[24]
  • 3,000–5,000 in Afghanistan (2019 USDOD estimate)[25][26]
  • 6,000-6,500 total (2024 UN intelligence estimate)[27]
  • 7,000–10,000 (2022 Pakistani government estimate)[28]
Allies
Opponents
Battles and wars
See engagements
    • Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
      • Battle of Wanna
      • Operation al-Mizan
      • Battle of Mirali
      • First Battle of Swat
      • 2007 Kurram Agency conflict
      • Operation Zalzala
      • Battle of Bajaur
      • Operation Sirat-e-Mustaqeem
      • Operation Rah-e-Rast (Second Battle of Swat)
      • Operation Rah-e-Nijat
      • 2009 Khyber Pass offensive
      • Operation Janbaz
      • Mohmand Offensive
      • Operation Black Thunderstorm
      • Orakzai and Kurram offensive
      • 2011 Chitral cross-border attacks
      • Operation Koh-e-Sufaid
      • Operation Rah-e-Shahadat
      • Operation Khyber
      • Operation Zarb-e-Azb
      • Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
      • 2023 Chitral cross-border attacks
      • 2023 Kurram Parachinar conflict
      • Operation Azm-e-Istehkam
      • 2024 Kurram conflict
    • Insurgency in Balochistan
      • Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad
      • Operation Azm-e-Istehkam
    • Afghanistan–Pakistan border conflicts
      • 2011 Chitral cross-border attacks
      • 2023 Chitral cross-border attacks
      • Afghanistan–Pakistan clashes (2024–present)
    • Global War on Terrorism
    • Afghan conflict
    • Syrian Civil War
Designated as a terrorist group by Argentina[32]
Bahrain[33]
Canada[34]
 Pakistan[35]
Japan[36]
New Zealand[37]
UAE[38][39][40]
 United Kingdom[41]
 United States[42]
United Nations[43][44]

The Pakistani Taliban,[d] officially the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),[e] is a Deobandi jihadist militant group operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border that is an internationally designated terrorist group.[45] Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current leader is Noor Wali Mehsud, who has publicly pledged allegiance to the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan).[46][1] The Pakistani Taliban share a common ideology with the Afghan Taliban and have assisted them in the 2001–2021 war, but the two groups have separate operation and command structures.[29][30]

The Pakistani Taliban have previously assisted the Afghan Taliban in the 2001–2021 war, however the two groups have separate ideologies and command structures.[29][30] The TTP is known for their anti-Shia sentiment and suicide bombings.[47] Most Islamist groups in Pakistan coalesce under the TTP.[48] Among the stated objectives of TTP is resistance against the Pakistani state.[1][49] The TTP's aim is to overthrow the government of Pakistan by waging a terrorist campaign against the Pakistan armed forces and the state.[50] The TTP depends on the tribal belt along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, from which it draws its recruits. The TTP receives ideological guidance from and maintains ties with al-Qaeda.[50] After the Pakistani military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, some of the TTP militants escaped from Pakistan to Afghanistan,[51] where some of them joined Islamic State – Khorasan Province, while others remained part of the TTP.[52] As of 2019, there are around 3,000 to 4,000 TTP militants in Afghanistan, according to a United States Department of Defense report.[25][53][54] Between July and November 2020, the Amjad Farouqi group, one faction of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the Musa Shaheed Karwan group, Mehsud factions of the TTP, Mohmand Taliban, Bajaur Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, and Hizb-ul-Ahrar merged with TTP. This reorganization made TTP more deadly and led to increased attacks.[55]

In 2020, after years of factionalism and infighting, the TTP under the leadership of Noor Wali Mehsud underwent reorganization and reunification. Mehsud has essentially steered the TTP in a new direction, sparing civilians and ordering assaults only on security and law enforcement personnel, in an attempt to rehabilitate the group's image and distance them from the Islamic State militant group's extremism.[56]

After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan was unable to persuade the Afghan Taliban to crack down on the TTP.[57] The Afghan Taliban instead mediated talks between Pakistan and the TTP, leading to the release of dozens of TTP prisoners in Pakistan and a temporary ceasefire between the Pakistani government and the TTP.[58][59][60] After the ceasefire expired on 10 December 2021, the TTP increased attacks on Pakistani security forces from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. The Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's Khost and Kunar provinces on 16 April 2022 appeared to have been conducted in retaliation to the surge in terror attacks in Pakistan.[61]

  1. ^ a b c Abbas, Hassan (January 2008). "A Profile of Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan". CTC Sentinel. 1 (2). West Point, NY: Combating Terrorism Center: 1–4. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  2. ^ "Hakeemullah announced new leader – doubts linger". Dawn News. 23 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
  3. ^ Khan, Hasbanullah (23 August 2009). "Hakeemullah appointed Baitullah's 'successor'". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Isis ascent in Syria and Iraq weakening Pakistani Taliban". The Guardian. London. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Afghan Taliban reject TTP claim of being a 'branch of IEA'". Dawn. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2022. They are not, as an organisation, part of IEA and we don't share the same objectives... The IEA stance is that we do not interfere in other countries' affairs. We do not interfere in Pakistan's affairs.
  6. ^ a b Atyani, Baker; Mehsud, Rehmat (10 December 2021). "Afghan Taliban deny TTP part of movement, call on group to seek peace with Pakistan". Arab News. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. ^ Chadwick, Paul (29 April 2018). "Three months on, the tabloid Guardian is still evolving". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Pakistan Airbase In Mianwali Under Attack By Tehreek-e-Jihad; Loud Explosions And Smoke..." 4 November 2023. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  9. ^ Kumar, Bhaswar (20 March 2024). "From friend to foe: How Hafiz Gul Bahadur brought Pak, Afghanistan to blows". Business Standard. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  10. ^ Khattak, Daud (25 July 2024). "New Extremist Groups -- At Least In Name -- Enter Pakistan's Militant Scene". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Tehrik-i-Taliban Swat/Bajaur/Mohmand". DOPEL. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  12. ^ a b Maley, William (2001). Fundamentalism Reborn? Afghanistan and the Taliban. C Hurst & Co. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-85065-360-8.
  13. ^ a b "Taliban - Oxford Islamic Studies Online". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Understanding taliban through the prism of Pashtunwali code". CF2R. 30 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  15. ^ a b "Did you know that there are two different Taliban groups?". www.digitaljournal.com. 1 April 2013. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013.
  16. ^ a b Puri, Luv (3 November 2009). "The Past and Future of Deobandi Islam". Combating Terrorism Center. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  17. ^ a b "MMP: Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan". cisac.fsi.stanford.edu.
  18. ^ a b Shane, Scott (22 October 2009). "Insurgents Share a Name, but Pursue Different Goals". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  19. ^ a b Siddiqa, Ayesha (2011). "Pakistan's Counterterrorism Strategy: Separating Friends from Enemies" (PDF). The Washington Quarterly. 34 (1): 149–162. doi:10.1080/0163660X.2011.538362. ISSN 0163-660X. S2CID 54884433. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
  20. ^ a b Elias, Barbara (2 November 2009). "Know Thine Enemy". Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 20 November 2009. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  21. ^ a b "4 Pakistani soldiers killed in separate clashes". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  22. ^ Multiple Sources:
  23. ^ "Deobandi Islam: The Religion of the Taliban". U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps, 15 October 2001.
  24. ^ Bennett-Jones, Owen (25 April 2014). "Pakistan army eyes Taliban talks with unease". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  25. ^ a b "Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom's Sentinel I Quarterly Report to the United States Congress I January 1, 2019 – March 31, 2019". Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoDIG). Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  26. ^ "The Pakistani Taliban is Back". The Diplomat. 9 March 2021.
  27. ^ "S/2024/556". United Nations. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  28. ^ ul Haq, Riaz (28 December 2022). "Number of TTP militants in the region between 7,000 and 10,000: Sanaullah". Dawn. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  29. ^ a b c Hashim, Asad (10 December 2021). "Pakistani Taliban ends ceasefire, future of peace talks uncertain". Al Jazeera. The TTP and Afghan Taliban are allied, although maintain separate operation and command structures.
  30. ^ a b c "Militants ambush Pakistani troops in northwest, killing 7". ABC News. 15 April 2022. Though separate, the Afghan Taliban and the TTP are close allies and Pakistani Taliban leaders and fighters have over the years sought sanctuary across the border in Afghanistan.
  31. ^ Lateef, Samaan (25 November 2023). "Pakistani Taliban threatens to attack China's Belt and Road route unless 'tax' paid". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  32. ^ Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos de la Nación. "RePET" (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  33. ^ "Bahrain Terrorist List (individuals – entities)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  34. ^ Cite error: The named reference cnt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  35. ^ 78 Organizations Proscribed by Ministry of Interior Archived 3 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine National counterterrorism authority, Government of Pakistan. 7 November 2021.
  36. ^ National Police Agency (Japan) (29 October 2021). "国際テロリスト財産凍結法第４条及び第６条に基づき指定等を行った国際テロリスト" (PDF) (in Japanese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  37. ^ "Lists associated with Resolutions 1267/1989/2253 and 1988". New Zealand Police. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  38. ^ مجلس الوزراء يعتمد قائمة التنظيمات الإرهابية.. Emirates News Agency (WAM) (in Arabic). 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  39. ^ "UAE publishes list of terrorist organisations". Gulf News. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  40. ^ "UAE cabinet endorses new list of terrorist groups". Kuwait News Agency. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  41. ^ Cite error: The named reference ukt was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  42. ^ Cite error: The named reference ust was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  43. ^ "Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing | United Nations Security Council".
  44. ^ "Letter dated 15 July 2021 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities addressed to the President of the Security Council" (PDF). securitycouncilreport. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  45. ^ "TEHRIK-E TALIBAN PAKISTAN (TTP) | Security Council". main.un.org. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  46. ^ "How Afghanistan's Militant Groups Are Evolving Under Taliban Rule". Voice of America. 20 March 2022.
  47. ^ Firdous, Afeera (10 January 2025). "Why is Parachinar Stuck in an Endless Loop of Violence?". South Asian Voices. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  48. ^ Yusufzai, Rahimullah (22 September 2008). "A Who's Who of the Insurgency in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province: Part One – North and South Waziristan". Terrorism Monitor. 6 (18). Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  49. ^ Carlotta Gall; Ismail Khan; Pir Zubair Shah; Taimoor Shah (26 March 2009). "Pakistani and Afghan Taliban Unify in Face of U.S. Influx". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
  50. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ref was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  51. ^ "Pakistani Taliban: Between infighting, government crackdowns and Daesh". TRT World. 18 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  52. ^ "A Look at Islamic State's Operations in Afghanistan". Voice of America. 29 April 2017. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  53. ^ Bajoria, Jayshree; Greg Bruno (6 May 2010). "Shared Goals for Pakistan's Militants". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  54. ^ Cite error: The named reference mazzetti was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  55. ^ "The Pakistani Taliban Is Back". The Diplomat. 9 March 2021.
  56. ^ "Islamabad bids to quell rise in Pakistani Taliban attacks". France 24. 15 November 2021.
  57. ^ Jacinto, Leela (9 February 2022). "Pakistan's 'good Taliban-bad Taliban' strategy backfires, posing regional risks". France 24.
  58. ^ Shah, Saeed (28 April 2022). "Pakistani Militants Test Taliban Promise Not to Host Terror Groups". Wall Street Journal.
  59. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  60. ^ Khan, Omer Farooq (11 December 2021). "TTP chief asks his fighters to resume attacks". The Times of India.
  61. ^ Najafizada, Eltaf; Dilawar, Ismail (19 April 2022). "Rare Pakistan Airstrikes on Taliban Show Tension After U.S. Exit". Bloomberg.


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