Amid escalating tensions between the Taliban and Islamabad, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a threat to Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. In a series of videos released by the TTP, one of their top commanders warned that the Pakistani army should refrain from sending soldiers to get killed and instead, top officers should lead themselves to the battlefield.
The videos also feature battlefield footage from an October 8 ambush in Kurram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which the TTP claims 22 Pakistani soldiers were killed. The footage shows captured ammunition and vehicles. However, the official Pakistani record reported fewer casualties, with the army confirming 11 soldiers killed in the attack.
TTP commander issues an open threat to Munir
In one of the videos, a senior TTP commander, identified by Pakistani officials as Commander Kazim, appears on camera and says, "Allah has given weapons to the mujahideen. This war will continue. If you are truly men who have drunk your mother’s milk, don't send ordinary soldiers like sheep and goats; you should come yourselves. Then we will teach you a taste of war. We will show you how to fight a war."
On October 21, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in Pakistan announced a bounty of 100 crore Pakistani rupees (PKR) on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan commander Kazim. He is believed to be involved in the recent killings of an army lieutenant colonel and a major and is also accused of plotting the assassination of Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud.
About Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group Pakistan regards as highly dangerous, was established in December 2007 through the merger of several smaller militant factions. Its stated objectives include enforcing Islamic Sharia in Pakistan, opposing the Pakistani army and government's pro-American stance, and creating an Islamic Emirate in alignment with the Afghan Taliban.
The group was founded by Baitullah Mehsud of the Mehsud tribe in South Waziristan. After his death in a US drone strike in 2009, leadership passed to Hakimullah Mehsud, then to Fazlullah, and is currently held by Noor Wali Mehsud.
Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict
After days of cross-border shelling, airstrikes, and retaliatory attacks that claimed civilian lives on both sides, Pakistan and the Taliban-led authorities in Kabul agreed to an immediate ceasefire in mid-October, mediated by Qatar and Turkey. The truce was announced publicly in Doha and presented as a crucial step to prevent further escalation along the porous Durand Line.
However, Islamabad has clarified that the ceasefire will remain in effect only if Afghanistan takes action against armed groups operating from its territory, a pointed reference to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
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