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TEHRIK-E TALIBAN PAKISTAN |Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

Incidents and Statements involving TTP: 2017 , 2016 , 2015 , 2014, 2013, 2011-2012

Formation

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), famously known as Pakistani Taliban, is the deadliest among all indigenous militant outfits. The inceptions leading to the formation of TTP went back to the days of NATO operations in Afghanistan after 9/11. After the American intervention in Afghanistan, a section of radicals started a movement inside Pakistan to support the Taliban. They remained just sympathiser till Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) incident happened in July 2007. In December 2007 the existence of the TTP was officially announced under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud. 13 groups united under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud to form the TTP in an undisclosed place in South Waziristan Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The sole objective of the Shura meeting was to unite the small militant fractions under the leadership of TTP against NATO forces in Afghanistan and to wage a defensive jihad against Pakistani forces.

Objectives/Ideology

Enforce Sharia’h, unite against NATO forces in Afghanistan and perform "defensive jihad" against the Pakistan Army.

React strongly if military operations are not stopped in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and North Waziristan Agency of FATA.

Demand the abolishment of all military checkpoints in the FATA area.

Demand the release of Lal Masjid Imam Abdul Aziz.

Though in the initial years of its formation, TTP refused peace deals with the Government of Pakistan, it enters peace-talk with Nawaz Sharif-led Government had initiated a dialogue with TTP through a panel of representatives, since January 29, 2014. The Government was represented in these talks by the Prime Minister's Advisor on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui, Major (Retd.) Mohammed Amir (a former ISI official), senior journalist Rahimullah Yousafzai, and former Ambassador to Afghanistan Rustam Shah Mohmand (who was nominated by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government). The TTP team was led by Maulana Samiul Haq (former chief cleric of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad), Maulana Abdul Aziz, Professor Mohammad Ibrahim of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), and Mufti Kifayatullah, a former lawmaker of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) from Mansehra.  

Leaders:

Current

Maulana Fazlullah, "The Radio Mullah" or "Mullah Radio" – New Amir (Chief) of TTP and head of Swat Taliban

Sheikh Khalid Haqqani - Deputy Chief and Amir of central / supreme shura.

Shakeel Ahmed Haqqani (alias Qari Shakeel) - Head of the TTP’s political shura.

Shahryar Mehsud (alias Shahbaz) - Commander of North Waziristan TTP.

Khan Said (alias Sajna Mehsud / Khalid Sajna) - Commander of South Waziristan TTP.

Abdul Wali (alias Omar Khalid / Umer Khalifa) – Mohmand Agency.

Asmatullah Muawiya - Leader of TTP's Punjab faction and Janood-e-Hafsa.

Mufti Hassan Swati - New chief of TTP's Peshawar chapter.

Mangal Bagh Afridi - Head of Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) (based in Khyber Agency) - Key ally of TTP.

Adnan Rasheed - Chief of Ansar Al-Aseer (TTP's unit tasked to free militant prisoners).

Hafiz Dolat Khan (alias Hafiz Ahmed) - TTP Amir of Kurram Agency.

Muhammad Arif (alias Kaka) - TTP Chief of Darra Adam Khel, Kohat, and Hangu.

Hafiz Saeed Khan – TTP Amir in Orakzai Agency.

Maulana Gul Zaman - TTP Amir in Khyber Agency.

Maulana Abu Bakr - Amir of TTP in Bajaur Agency.

Shah Jehan - Amir of TTP in Swabi.

Qazi Hammad - ‘Chief justice’ of TTP.

Former

Baitullah Mehsud - Founder leader of TTP - deceased August 2009.

Hakimullah Mehsud – Chief of TTP - deceased November 1, 2013.

Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani - Former head of the central / supreme shura - deceased February 24 2014.

Waliur Rehman Mehsud – Deputy Chief of TTP and Commander of South Waziristan Agency – deceased May 29, 2013.

Abdullah Bahar Mehsud - Deputy Chief of TTP and adviser to Hakimullah Mehsud - deceased November 1, 2013.

Wali Muhammad Mehsud (alias Toofan) – In charge of fidayeen (suicide) squad and former head of TTP in Wana – deceased January 21, 2014.

Tariq Afridi (alias Gidar) - TTP Commander in Khyber, Peshawar, Kohat, and Hangu. - Deceased August 29, 2012.

Maulvi Saifuddin - TTP commander in FR Bannu - deceased November 19, 2013.

Mullah Dadullah - TTP commander in Bajaur Agency - Deceased August24, 2012. 

Maulvi Abbas Wazir - TTP Commander in Wana, South Waziristan - deceased December 21, 2012.

Qari Hussain Mehsud - Lieutenant to Baitullah Mehsud - deceased October 7, 2010.

Qari Zainuddin Mehsud - Leader of South Waziristan Agency (Tank) - deceased June 23, 2009.

Maulvi Muhammad Iftikhar- One the six senior most TTP and former Red Mosque leader - deceased October 14, 2011.

Spokesmen

Current:

Shahidullah Shahid (alias Sheikh Maqbool) - TTP central Spokesman

Mohammad Raees Khan Mehsud (alias Azam Tariq / Asimullah Asim) - South Waziristan Agency Chapter  

Mohammad Afridi - Darra Adam Khel & Khyber Agency Chapter   

Sirajuddin Ahmed - Swat Chapter.

Abu Baseer - Spokesman of TTP's Ansarul Mujahideen faction.

Ahmed Marwat - Spokesman of TTP Jundallah.

Abdul Rashid Lashkari - LI Spokesman for Khyber Agency.

Former:

Azam Tariq

Ehsanullah Ehsan aka Ahsanullah Ahsan (alias Sajjad Mohmand)

Muhammad Suleman - Spokesperson for TTP (Wana Region).

Maulvi Omar - close aide of Baitullah Mehsud - arrested August 18, 2009.

Muslim Khan - arrested September 11, 2009.

Area of operation and Strength

The group contains membership from all of FATA's seven tribal agencies as well as several districts of the KP. Estimates place the total number of operatives between 30,000 and 35,000. Headquartered in the South Waziristan Agency of FATA, TTP has spread its networks into all of Pakistan's four provinces, establishing various 'Chapters' and groups led by local 'commanders' with common organisational goals. The TTP has also made its presence felt in neighbouring Afghanistan in recent times.

There is an overlap of membership between TTP and other sectarian terrorist outfits that operate across the country, each pursuing its own internal and external agendas. On November 23, 2008, the then TTP spokesman, Mullah Omer, had said, "The Taliban are present in Karachi and have links with the LeJ, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and other banned religious organisations." Apart from these sectarian groups, there are others with which the TTP has established linkages, primarily including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), HuM and Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI). Media reports on January 5, 2011, indicated that five terrorist groups had joined the TTP and were working under its umbrella TTP. With common aims and enemies, LeJ, SSP, JeM, HuM and Harkat-ul-Ansar (HuA) had 'merged' with TTP. TTP spokesman Azam Tariq declared, "We have not forced anyone to join TTP, and the leaders and activists of the banned religious organisations have united themselves under the umbrella of the TTP on their own choice."

Proscription

The US Department of State had put the TTP on its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations on September 1, 2010. On January 18, 2011, Britain moved to ban the TTP, making it illegal to belong to or raise funds for the organisation in Britain. Subsequently, on July 5, 2011, Canada designated the TTP as a terrorist organisation. Vic Toews, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, noted that putting TTP on the terrorism blacklist was "an essential part of our efforts to combat terrorism and keep our communities safe." On July 29, 2011, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) put the TTP on its international anti-terrorism sanctions list in a move highlighting the growing threat from the outfit. The outfit was banned in Pakistan on August 25, 2008.

Incidents and Statements involving TTP: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011-2012

 

 

 

 

 
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