Six years after facing defeat, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), infamous for unleashing violence against civilians, has rebuilt its network under the command of their new leader, Noor Wali Mehsud.

A total of 2,300 TTP leaders and members were released by the Afghan Taliban, who then pledged their allegiance to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Afghan Taliban’s supreme leader and religious head, according to several reports from the ground in Afghanistan.

It is clear that the TTP is steadily making gains in conjunction with the Afghan Taliban’s return to power. But how did an almost defunct terrorist group in the cross hairs of the Pakistani military come back to prominence? We take a closer look at its origins, leaders, its recent resurgence and potential implications on several Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and China.

Origins of Tehrik-e-Taliban

Founded in 2007 by the then Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, the TTP was essentially a loose alliance of militant groups. Since its inception, the alliance has been committed to the idea of a Greater Afghanistan, including the Pashtun dominated areas of north-west Pakistan, across the Durand line.

It has been on the Foreign Terrorist Organizations list of the US Department of State since 2010.

Based on reporting from RUSI, an UK-based independent institution for publishing evidence-based research about international affairs, security and defence, the founder Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a drone strike in 2009, after which Hakimullah Mehsud, another ruthless commander from the Mehsud clan, succeeded him as the leader of the TTP.

The current leader of the group, Noor Wali Mehsud, appeared in his first TV interview with CNN recently and said they will continue their fight against Pakistan's forces and that their goal is to take control of Pakistani border tribal regions.

Fall of TTP

The downfall of the TTP began after Hakimullah Mehsud’s death in a US drone strike, similar to his predecessor.

Soon, the group splintered and several factions of the TTP parted ways after the appointment of Mullah Fazlullah as the head of the militant group. Fazlullah was a non-Mehsud and also a non-tribal.

In a final blow to the already divided group, the Pakistan military launched a massive operation, Zarb-e-Azb, against the TTP in 2014, which drove the surviving members into eastern and south-eastern Afghanistan.

Fazlullah, like his two predecessors, could not escape the wrath of US drone strikes and was killed in 2018. After massive losses under the leadership of Fazlullah, the reins of the TTP were handed over to Taliban Mehsud in 2018.

Noor Wali Mehsud and TTP’s resurgence

After assuming leadership in 2018, Noor Wali Mehsud relaunched and reinforced the TTP.

Wali Mehsud is widely considered as an ‘intellectual leader,’ writer and strategist, as opposed to a battle-hardened fighter. From 2018, he focused on bringing together all splintered factions under the TTP umbrella.

In a strategic move, he also moved the TTP headquarters from eastern Afghanistan, specifically Kunar and Nangaarhar provinces, to the south-eastern Paktika province. This move gives an immense advantage to the TTP, as his men have easy access to cross the border into Waziristan, Pakistan. This mountainous rugged tribal region was once the stronghold of the TTP, and they have made a comeback here by carrying out targeted killings, especially among the Pakistani security forces.

The biggest success of the TTP under Wali Mehsud was getting back into the fold two strong factions which had splintered after the second commander, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed in 2013. The two groups -- Jamat ul Ahrar (JuA) under Omar Khalid Khorasani and Omar Khorasani’s Hezb ul Ahar (HeA) -- returned to the TTP in August 2020.

Funding for TTP

Wali Mehsud has always maintained good relations with Al-Qaeda and it is evident from its current activities that TTP is flush with funds.

It is unclear where the majority of funding is coming from, but Al-Qaeda is definitely a suspect, according to latest reporting from The Diplomat.

There have also been reports over the past year that the TTP demands protection money from locals and kidnaps government officials with the intent of extortion.

Local reports also suggest that the TTP has expanded its financial resources by charging local contractors 5 percent of the total amount of the contract in Waziristan and surrounding districts.

In fact, the group has already expanded its extortion network to neighbouring Tank and as far as Pakistan’s commercial capital, Karachi.

Future implications

The re-emergence of a reunited Pakistani Taliban in the border regions is a big headache for not just Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also India, China and the US.

India is already facing the jihadist threat in Kashmir, and Pakistan is strategically important to China for fulfilling its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China has invested billions in Pakistan under various initiatives and has a visible presence in the country, which stands threatened by the TTP. The Tehrik-e-Taliban’s return can derail many future planned investments through the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)