TTP emerges as dominant outfit in Pakistan's militant landscape

Islamabad, Nov 1 (IANS) Renewed rift between Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) within Pakistan’s militant network extends beyond changes in leadership to the operational level, with the JuA often claiming responsibility for attacks that TTP publicly denied, a report cited on Saturday.

It added that JuA was founded in 2014 by Omar Khalid Khorasani after he broke away from the TTP following a disagreement with the then-leader of the TTP, Mullah Fazlullah.

“In Pakistan’s militant landscape, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has emerged as the dominant outfit. This lead largely stems from its quasi-governance model, with centralized leadership and a decentralized operational structure. Likewise, a sustainable stream of financial flows and a vast network of alliances with over 90 groups have made the TTP the most lethal, vibrant, and resilient group operating in Pakistan,” a report in ‘The Diplomat’ detailed.

“However, this potency is now facing challenges as rifts are gradually brewing between the TTP and Jamat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), with the latter determined to split ways. Meanwhile, the upstart Ittehad Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP) is increasingly joining hands with the JuA to chip away at the TTP’s influence,” it added.

According to the Diplomat report following the killing of Omar Khalid Khorasani, the JuA has been left without a leader, making it unlikely that any major JuA affiliate will hold a significant position within the TTP command.

The “JuA now wants key positions,” The Diplomat quoted Arshad Mohmand, a journalist at Voice of America, as saying

Mohmand added that amid the shifting landscape, the JuA has pursued a “hedging policy” between the TTP and rising rival group, the Ittehad Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP),

“In April 2024, the IMP emerged as a new faction in Pakistan’s militancy domain. The group is led by three factions: Lashkar-e-Islam, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, and Harakat Inqilab Islami Pakistan (HIIP), with the Gul Bahadur faction at the helm. This newly formed alliance has claimed several high-profile attacks across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, particularly focusing on the southern belts,” the report stressed

"The JuA is gradually expanding its network of alliances, extending its influence from the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi in Sindh. On October 25, 30 affiliates from Chitral joined the JuA This strategy is mainly motivated by a desire to weaken the strong foothold of the TTP in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the JuA ‘intends to consolidate its hold,’ a source familiar with the dynamics says,” it noted.

--IANS

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