Thread by @Pak_AfgAffairs

Understanding TTP, Al-Qaeda & TTA 🧵

Al-Qaeda/TTA off shoot of Mujahideen:

Al-Qaeda appeared as an org & it strengthened its roots in Middle East, Central Asia & Africa. It was founded after the end of the Soviet war in 80s by Bin Laden. This was a sunni- salfi jihadist.

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TTA was founded by Mullah Omar, a group consisting of 50 Talibs (students) in #Kandahar in 1994. It was a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist org. Mujahedeen from #Pakistan joined #Taliban movement in #Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal.

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History of TTP:

#TTP was officially established in Dec 2007 under the leadership of militant commander Baitullah Mehsud.

The group emerged as an alliance of fighters and radicals belonging to diverse backgrounds, tribes and nationalities.

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Although Pashtuns are known to be in majority but TTP has a robust presence of Arab, Uzbek, Afghan, Chechen as well as Punjabi among other militants.

Members of TTP are believed to be from all of FATA's seven tribal agencies and districts of KPK, including Swat, Bannu, Tank,

. . Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohistan, Buner, and Malakand.

Differences between Al-Qaeda, TTA & #TTP:

Al-Qaeda has larger orbit and it works as an organization internationally. In the early period Al-Qaeda worked in #Afghanistan as well to fill the vacuum.

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TTA has its state presence though it has its effects in Central Asian states, #Iran & #Pakistan. But after the withdrawal of the US forces it appeared as a party in #Afghanistan.

With the toppling of the #Taliban govt, the Talibs moved to Pakhtoon dominated areas of AFG .

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. . & subsequently to #Pakistan. Number of their combatant friends of other nationalities slipped into Pakistan.

TTA globally acquired the status of terrorist organization that works against Pakistan mainly against Pakistan government and military forces.

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Militant groups from the Mahsuds, Wazirs, Sulaimankhels, and Bhittani tribes in FATA started resistance against the Security forces.

Initially, the tribes considered the military campaigns against foreign fighters taking refuge in FATA as efforts to subjugate them.

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Moreover, some tribes live on both sides of Durand Line and they felt humiliated when their Afghan relatives or guests who were promised refuge by the tribes were attacked by the Security forces.

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Mostly TTP works and feeds on external agendas to harm maximum loss to the #Pakistan sovereignty & security. #TTP killed many Pakistanis including leading political figures like Benazir Bhutto and was involved in heinous crimes like the APSAC #Peshawar incident etc.

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