ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan would approach the Taliban leadership with a fresh demand to deny the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates any space on the Afghan soil, official sources told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.
This came a day after at least 11 terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation by the local security forces in Pakistan’s South Waziristan on Thursday, aimed at curtailing the rising militancy in the country.
While security forces in Pakistan decided to deal with the TTP and other terrorist groups with iron hands, the Afghan Taliban would be questioned to cooperate in this endeavor, according to reports, adding the Afghan Taliban would be given one choice: “either you are with Pakistan or with the TTP”.
There has been a surge in terrorist attacks in recent months, where TTP claimed responsibility for more than 140 terrorist attacks in the last three months, including the first suicide attack in Islamabad in eight years.
The Controversy
The Afghan Taliban recently dismissed Pakistan’s view that the TTP was operating out of the neighboring country.
However, the Afghan Taliban’s claim was already rebutted by several international reports, including the UN monitors, who revealed that the thousands of TTP terrorists were operating out of Afghan soil, as the Tribune wrote.
Last month, Pakistani Taliban announced they no longer abide by a month-long ceasefire with the government, urging fighters to resume attacks in retaliation towards a continuous military campaigns.
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Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told Reuters in a text message that its leadership had decided to end the ceasefire with Pakistan, as India Express reported.
According to a statement, the TTP leadership urged its fighters to resume attacks in retaliation towards a continuous military campaign against them.
The Pakistani military has carried out several offensives against the militants in their strongholds in remote lawless districts bordering Afghanistan.
There was no immediate response from the government.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) – commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban – is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan–Pakistani border.
Formed in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current leader is Noor Wali Mehsud, who has publicly pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan).
Most Taliban groups in Pakistan coalesce under the TTP. Among the stated objectives of TTP is resistance against the Pakistani state. The TTP’s aim is to overthrow the government of Pakistan by waging a terrorist campaign against the Pakistan armed forces and the state.
The TTP has carried out some of the bloodiest attacks inside Pakistan since 2007. It is not directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban, but pledges allegiance to them.
