The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned group, has been receiving substantial support from Al Qaeda and other militant factions for carrying out attacks in Pakistan, according to the 33rd report submitted to the United Nations Security Council Committee by the ISIL and Al Qaeda/Taliban Monitoring Team. This collaboration involves not only the provision of arms and equipment but also active on-the-ground assistance for TTP’s operations against Pakistan.
Despite Pakistan expressing frustration over the Afghan Taliban’s inaction against the outlawed TTP, the report notes that the Afghan Taliban have not effectively curbed TTP’s activities. This lack of action has strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Pakistan viewing the TTP’s activities as a direct threat to its national security.
The report highlights that some Taliban members have joined TTP’s ranks, contributing to the group’s operations. TTP members and their families reportedly receive regular aid packages from the Afghan Taliban, indicating a deeper level of support.
In mid-2023, the TTP established a new base in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where individuals were trained as suicide bombers. Al Qaeda core and Al Qaeda in the subcontinent have played a significant role in providing training, ideological guidance, and support to the TTP, emphasizing the interconnected nature of these militant networks.
The report also mentions the formation of Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan (TJP) as a front to provide plausible deniability for the TTP, along with the involvement of groups like East Turkestan Islamic Movement/Turkestan Islamic Party (ETIM/TIP) and Majeed Brigade in joint operations with the TTP.
The ETIM/TIP has shifted its base from Badakhshan Province to Baghlan Province, expanding its operational reach. The group is actively involved in training youth for its reserve forces and is intensifying the recruitment and training of women.
The report expresses concerns about ETIM/TIP’s collaboration with other extremist groups, particularly the TTP, posing a significant security threat to the region.
The Majeed Brigade, engaged in insurgency in Balochistan, is reported to have a strength of 60 to 80 combatants, with a focus on recruiting female suicide bombers.
The Brigade collaborates with the TTP and ISIL-K in various domains, including training, arms procurement, intelligence exchange, and coordinated operations. It has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks targeting law enforcement and Chinese personnel in Pakistan.
