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121-589: The group took over much of Swat in 2007. It was founded by Sufi Muhammad in 1992, and was banned by President Pervez Musharraf on January 12, 2002. The organization is based in the areas along the Pakistan - Afghanistan border, especially Dir , Swat , Thana and Malakand but including Dargai and Chenagai . It supports the Afghan Taliban , Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda based militants in neighbouring Afghanistan. It has been described as "one of

242-645: A Facebook page which had been created in September 2012 and had a few " likes " and a "handful of messages written in English". According to then TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, the page was being "temporarily" used before the TTP would plan to launch its own website. SITE Intelligence Group described the Facebook page as a "recruitment center" looking for people to edit the TTP's quarterly magazine and videos. The page

363-423: A Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and identified Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali ur-Rehman as specially designated global terrorists. The designation of the TTP as an FTO makes it a crime to provide support or to do business with the group and also allows the U.S. to freeze its assets. The US State Department also issued a $ 5 million reward for information on the two individuals' locations. In January 2011,

484-595: A brief decline, the group experienced a revival in the aftermath of the October 2005 earthquake . Radio broadcasts reinforced local beliefs that the earthquake was a punishment for sins, and local inhabitants of the region destroyed electronic equipment, such as televisions and computers, in response. In July 2007, the group took over much of the Swat District and held on to it as late as November, when Pakistani forces ousted Maulana Fazlullah and his followers from

605-680: A considerably cooler and wetter climate compared to the rest of Pakistan. With lush forests, verdant alpine meadows , and snow-capped mountains, Swat is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The name "Swat" is derived from the Swat River . The Swat River referred to as the Suvāstu in the Rig Veda, with a literal meaning "of fair dwellings". Some have suggested the Sanskrit name may mean "clear blue water." Another theory derives

726-598: A large base in the village of Imam Dheri. The stronghold, eight kilometres from the valley's main town of Mingora in Kabal Union Council of northwestern Swat, was guarded by about 200 rebel fighters. An Associated Press reporter who visited the base in October 2007 described it as a concrete complex near the village. "Inside is a mosque and a maze of dozens of rooms, many still under construction. A shop sells audio cassettes of speeches by Fazlullah." Although

847-553: A mosque, court and prison. Swat (Pakistan) Swat District ( Urdu : ضلع سوات , Pashto : سوات ولسوالۍ , pronounced [ˈswaːt̪] ), also known as the Swat Valley , is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan . Known for its stunning natural beauty, the district is a popular tourist destination. With a population of 2,687,384 per the 2023 national census , Swat

968-576: A number of towns destroyed the fortified bunkers the rebels, including Fazlullah and Sirajuddin, had left behind as the militants retreated into the mountains. Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi is an important member of the Pakistani Taliban coalition, In the aftermath of the 2007 siege of Lal Masjid , Fazlullah's forces and Baitullah Mehsud 's Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) formed an alliance. Fazlullah and his army reportedly received orders from Mehsud. On October 8, 2007, members of

1089-465: A one-week period. All of these four leaders, among them former TTP deputy leader Sheikh Khalid Haqqani and Hakimullah Mehsud group leader Sheharyar Mehsud, were killed within a month of each other as well. The TTP's "media arm" is "Umar Media". Umar Media provides a "behind the scenes" look at Taliban attacks. Video clips are made in Pashto with Urdu subtitles. Umar Media also reportedly operated

1210-404: A population of 2,687,384. The district has a sex ratio of 104.83 males to 100 females and a literacy rate of 48.13%: 61.83% for males and 33.95% for females. 808,888 (30.11% of the surveyed population) are under 10 years of age. 794,368 (29.56%) live in urban areas. Languages of Swat district (2023) Swat is mostly inhabited by Pashtuns who make up 92.18% of the population. The dominant tribe

1331-697: A real threat to Pakistan. They may not be obeying the Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar." Some regional experts state that the common name "Taliban" may be more misleading than illuminating. Gilles Dorronsoro of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace believes that "[t]he fact that they have the same name causes all kinds of confusion." As the Pakistani Army began offensives against the Pakistani Taliban, many unfamiliar with

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1452-561: A region extending "from Matta sub-division in upper Swat valley to Kabal sub-division close the main Mingora town." A January 21, 2009 issue of the Pakistan daily newspaper The News , reported Taliban enforcement of a complete ban on female education in the Swat district. Some 400 private schools enrolling 40,000 girls were forced to close. At least 10 girls schools that tried to open after

1573-632: A senior analyst at International Crisis Group (ICG), the Islamic State (IS) fighters who started the ISIS-K branch of ISIS were TTP militants who had long settled in Afghanistan. He claims that many members of the TTP fled Pakistan and went to seek refuge in Afghanistan as a result of military operations conducted by Pakistan security forces. In Afghanistan, National Directorate of Security (NDS) tried to persuade them to fight against Pakistan and

1694-589: A separate group called Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar , led by the Mohmand Agency commander Omar Khalid Khorosani, after disagreeing with Fazlullah's order to fight the Pakistani Army's Operation Zarb-e-Azb offensive in the Tribal Areas. However, in March 2015, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar's spokesman announced that they were rejoining the TTP. Some Uzbek and Arab fighters previously working with

1815-737: A spokesman for the Swati Taliban responded that the TTP had not formally requested an overturn of the ban and that his group would continue as planned. However, Khan announced in a phone call to the Gulf News on January 28, 2009, that his group would reconsider the ban on education for women in consultation with religious scholars once conflict had ended in the area. He stated, "We are not against education, but we insist that our new generation should be imparted with religious and then scientific and technology education. The Taliban need doctors, engineers and scientists to strengthen our cause." This

1936-403: A spokesman from the TTP's Malakand division revealed to The Express Tribune that TTP militants "regularly move across the porous border" to stage attacks against Pakistan but had only been in Afghanistan for a few months previously, contrary to Pakistani claims that the TTP had long used Afghan territory as a staging ground. Both governments blame the other for harboring Taliban militants along

2057-523: A symbiotic relationship: T.T.P. draws ideological guidance from Al Qaeda, while Al Qaeda relies on the T.T.P. for safe haven in the Pashtun areas along the Afghan-Pakistani border... This mutual cooperation gives T.T.P. access to both Al Qaeda's global terrorist network and the operational experience of its members. Given the proximity of the two groups and the nature of their relationship, T.T.P.

2178-403: A village located near Mingora , is one of those few villages which produces 18 varieties of apples due to its agriculturally favourable temperate climate in summer. The apple produced here is consumed in Pakistan as well as exported to other countries. It is known as ‘the apple of Swat’. Swat is also famous for peach production mostly grown in the valley bottom plains and accounts for about 80% of

2299-718: Is a force multiplier for Al Qaeda." Ayesha Siddiqa of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars describes the TTP as "a franchise of al Qaeda" and attributes strong ties to al-Qaeda's acquisition of "a more local character over the years." Since the days of the Soviet era, some al-Qaeda operatives have established themselves in Pashtun areas and enmeshed themselves in the local culture. In 2008 Baitullah Mehsud met with Ayman al-Zawahiri in South Waziristan. Prior to this meeting

2420-597: Is also being noticed now that taliban have begun to target Pakistani scientists and engineers of the strategic organizations. The Pakistani government announced on February 16, 2009, that it would allow Sharia law in the Malakand region. In return, Fazlullah's followers agreed to observe a ceasefire negotiated by Sufi Muhammad . On February 24, 2009, Muslim Khan publicly announced that the Swati Taliban would observe an indefinite ceasefire. In early April 2009 Sufi Muhammad ended support for peace negotiations stating that

2541-510: Is also founder of Private Schools Management Association (PSMA) and got good reputation in imparting quality education in the region. Swat is subdivided into 9 administrative divisions Tehsils : Each tehsil comprises certain numbers of union councils . Swat has 65 union councils: 56 rural and 9 urban. According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2013 , a new local governments system

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2662-502: Is believed to have been the lingua franca of the locals during this time. By the time of the Muslim conquests ( c.  1000 CE ), the population in the region was predominantly Hindu , though Buddhism persisting in the valley until the 10th century, after which the area became largely Muslim . Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area, and ruins dating back to their rule can be seen on

2783-820: Is commonly shortened to Ghazi Brigade or Ghazi Force , emerged as a jihadi organization after the Lal Masjid Operation of 2007. In 2009 the Ghazi Brigade worked closely with the TTP during military operations in the Swat Valley, and the two groups jointly planned attacks on western targets in Islamabad. The TTP and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have a long history of collaboration. At one point prior to his appointment as TTP chief, Baitullah Mehsud lived with Tohir Yo'ldosh ,

2904-630: Is delineated by natural geographic boundaries, and is centered on the Swat River. The valley is enclosed on all sides by mountains, and is intersected by glens and ravines. Above mountains ridges to the west is the valley of the Panjkora River , to the north the Gilgit Valley, and Indus River gorges to the east. To the south, across a series of low mountains, lies the wide Peshawar valley . The northernmost area of Swat district are

3025-677: Is just a figurehead now... He can hardly communicate with his commanders in other parts of the tribal areas ... he is in total isolation. Only a few people within the TTP know where he is." A December 2011 report published in The Express Tribune further described the network as "crumbling" with "funds dwindling and infighting intensifying." According to various TTP operatives, the difficulties stemmed from differences of opinion within TTP leadership on pursuing peace talks with Islamabad. In December 2012 senior Pakistan military officials told Reuters that Hakimullah Mehsud had lost control of

3146-522: Is nothing else between us." Peshawar-based security analyst Brigadier (retd) Muhamaad Saad believes the Taliban are not a monolithic entity. "They can be divided into three broad categories: [Afghan] Kandahari Taliban, led by Mullah Omar; [Afghan] Paktia Taliban, led by Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Sirajuddin Haqqani; and [Pakistani] Salfi Taliban [TTP]," he said. "It's the Salfi Taliban who pose

3267-615: Is the Yusufzai tribe with minor settlements of Shinwari , Tarkani , Ghoryakhel and Sulaimankhel tribes. The language spoken in the valley is Pashto (mainly the Yousafzai dialect ). Kohistani languages are spoken by 1.47% of the population and languages classified as 'Others', mainly Kalami and Torwali , are spoken by 6.10% of the population, and form the majority in the Swat Kohistan region of Upper Swat. According to

3388-474: Is the 15th-largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Swat District is centred on the Valley of Swat, usually referred to simply as Swat, which is a natural geographic region surrounding the Swat River . The valley was a major centre of early Buddhism of the ancient civilisation of Gandhara , mainly Gandharan Buddhism , with pockets of Buddhism persisting in the valley until the 16th century conquest of Swat by

3509-570: 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 (a.k.a. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan). The Pakistani Taliban share a common ideology with the Afghan Taliban and have assisted them in the 2001–2021 war , but the two groups have separate operation and command structures. Most Taliban groups in Pakistan coalesce under

3630-689: The Alif Ailaan Pakistan Education Rankings for 2017 , Swat with a score of 53.1, is ranked 86 out of 155 districts in terms of education. Furthermore, the Swat schools infrastructure scores 90.26 which ranks it on number 31 out of 155. A Christian-run missionary school was established in 1950s, the first ever private sector educational institution in Swat Valley. A number of other private sector schools are in run since long, Tipu Model School and College, Kabal Swat (TMS established by Safdar Ali Aziz) and Swat Public School (SPS) are oldest among such schools. Safdar Ali Aziz

3751-566: The BBC that he would assume temporary leadership of the TTP and that Muslim Khan would serve as the organization's primary spokesperson. He also maintained that Baitullah had not been killed, but rather was in bad health. Faqir further elaborated that decisions over leadership of the umbrella group would only be made in consultation and consensus with a variety of different TTP leaders. "The congregation of TTP leaders has 32 members and no important decision can be taken without their consultation," he told

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3872-640: The British Indian Empire between 1926 and 1947, after which the Akhwand acceded to the newly independent state of Pakistan . Swat continued to exist as an autonomous region until it was dissolved in 1969, and incorporated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly called NWFP ). The region was seized by the Tehrik-i-Taliban in late-2007, and its highly-popular tourist industry was subsequently decimated until Pakistani control

3993-485: The Dominion of Pakistan continuing as a self-governing princely state until it was officially annexed and merged into West Pakistan and later became a part of North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in 1969. The region was seized by the Tehrik-i-Taliban in late-2007 until Pakistani control was re-established in mid-2009 . The average elevation of Swat is 980 m (3,220 ft), resulting in

4114-711: The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The TTP and the Punjabi Taliban both claimed the 2009 Lahore bombing shortly after the attack. On 24 August 2013, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed that the head of the Punjabi Taliban faction, Asmatullah Muawiya, had been stripped of his leadership for welcoming the Pakistani government's peace talks offer. Muawiya responded by saying that

4235-722: The Greco-Bactrians , and briefly the Scythians of the Central Asian Steppe . The region of Gandhara (based in the Peshawar valley and the adjacent hilly regions of Swat, Buner , Dir , and Bajaur ), broke away from Greco-Bactrian rule to establish their own independence as the Indo-Greek Kingdom . Following the death of the most famous Indo-Greek king, Menander I around 140 BCE, the region

4356-695: The Jinnah International Airport attack . The militants who participated in the attack were Uzbeks belonging to the IMU, and the TTP described the attack as a joint operation between TTP and IMU. The Punjabi Taliban reportedly developed strong connections with the TTP, the Afghan Taliban , Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi and various other groups based in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and

4477-488: The Kushans , based in the Peshawar valley . Kushan rule began what is considered by many to be the golden age of Gandhara. Under the greatest Kushan king, Kanishka , Swat became an important region for the production of Buddhist art, and numerous Buddhists shrines were built in the area. As a patron of Mahayana Buddhism , new Buddhists stupas were built and old ones were enlarged. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hsien , who visited

4598-563: The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi , the Musa Shaheed Karwan group, Mehsud factions of the TTP, Mohmand Taliban, Bajaur Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar , and Hizb-ul-Ahrar merged with TTP. This reorganization made TTP more deadly and led to increased attacks. In 2020, after years of factionalism and infighting, the TTP under the leadership of Noor Wali Mehsud underwent reorganization and reunification. Mehsud has essentially steered

4719-585: The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan The Pakistani Taliban ( Urdu : پاکستانی طالبان ), formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan ( تحریکِ طالبان پاکستان , lit.   ' Pakistani Taliban Movement ' , abbr. TTP ), is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along

4840-492: The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), including Swat , Bannu , Tank , Lakki Marwat , Dera Ismail Khan , Kohistan , Buner , and Malakand . Some 2008 estimates placed the total number of operatives at 30–35,000, although it is difficult to judge the reliability of such estimates. In the aftermath of Baitullah Mehsud's death, the organization experienced turmoil among its leading militants. By

4961-631: The Shaivism sect of Hinduism . In around 520 CE, the Chinese monk Song Yun visited the area, and recorded that area had been in ruin and ruled by a leader that did not practice the laws of the Buddha. The Tang -era Chinese monk Xuanzang recorded the decline of Buddhism in the region, and ascendance of Hinduism in the region. According to him, of the 1400 monasteries that had supposedly been there, most were in ruins or had been abandoned. Following

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5082-536: The Yousafzai Pashtuns from west during the reign of Sultan Awes Jahangiri in 1519, resulting into the Pashtunization of Swat. The princely state of Swat was a kingdom established in the late 19th century by the Muslim saint Akhund Abdul Gaffur , more commonly known as Saidu Baba, that was ruled by chiefs known as Akhunds . It was then recognized as a princely state in alliance with

5203-675: The Yousafzais , after which the area became largely Muslim, along with the Pashtunization of Swat and its neighbouring regions. In the early 19th century, Swat emerged as an independent state under Saidu Baba . State of Swat became a Princely state under British suzerainty as part of the British Raj in 1918. In 1947, following the Partition of British India and subsequent independence of Pakistan , Swat acceded to

5324-521: The 1980s, Sufi Muhammad actively participated in Jamaat-e-Islami , an Islamist political party of Pakistan. In 1992 he split from the party and formed TNSM, an Islamic extremist militant group as Religious Organization with an objective to enforce Sharia law in his stronghold Malakand Division Districts. From its stronghold of Malakand Division Districts in northwestern Pakistan, Sufi Muhammad and his group engaged in violent agitation for

5445-535: The Afghan Taliban including Mullah Omar, Jalaluddin Haqqani and Siraj Haqqani are believed to have enjoyed safe haven in Pakistan. In 2006, Jalaluddin Haqqani was called a 'Pakistani asset' by a senior official of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. Pakistan regards the Haqqanis as an important force for protecting its interests in Afghanistan and therefore has been unwilling to move against them. In 2007, Pakistani militants loyal to Baitullah Mehsud created

5566-608: The Afghan Taliban. Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar asked the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in late 2008 and early 2009 to stop attacks inside Pakistan. In February 2009, the three dominant Pakistani Taliban leaders agreed to put aside their differences to help counter a planned increase in American troops in Afghanistan and reaffirmed their allegiance to Mullah Omar (and to Osama bin Laden ). The agreement among

5687-562: The Afghan Taliban. Initially, only few of them fought against Pakistan and Afghan Talibans. However, after that TTP members in Afghanistan changed their allegiance to ISIS-K. Initially, because of their good relations with Afghan armed forces, the locals in Afghanistan thought that they were pro-Afghan government forces based. They also claimed that they were there to fight Afghan Talibans and Pakistan. However, after series of events, ISIS-K also turned hostile towards to Afghan government and locals. The Ghazi Abdul Rashid Shaheed Brigade, whose name

5808-720: The American presence in Afghanistan. Baitullah Mehsud , Hafiz Gul Bahadur , and Maulavi Nazir agreed in February and formed the Shura Ittehadul Mujahideen (SIM), also transliterated as Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen and translated into English as the Council of United Mujahedeen . In a written statement circulated in a one-page Urdu-language pamphlet, the three affirmed that they would put aside differences to fight American-led forces and reasserted their allegiance to Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden . However,

5929-461: The BBC. He reported to the AFP that both Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali-ur-Rehman had approved his appointment as temporary leader of the militant group. Neither militant had publicly confirmed Faqir's statement, and analysts cited by Dawn News believed the assumption of leadership actually indicated a power struggle. Two days later Faqir Mohammed retracted his claims of temporary leadership and said that Hakimullah Mehsud had been selected leader of

6050-417: The British government moved to classify the TTP as a banned terrorist organization under its Terrorism Act 2000 . In July 2011, the Canadian government also added the TTP to its list of banned terrorist organizations. In February 2014, a group of TTP terrorists under the lead of Maulana Umar Qasmi broke away from the organization to form the Ahrar-ul-Hind , in protest against the TTP's negotiations with

6171-444: The IMU's former leader, who became an ideological inspiration and offered the services of his 2,500 fighters to Mehsud. In April 2009 Muslim Khan listed the IMU among the TTP's allies in an interview with AP. The IMU posted a video online in September 2010 that featured footage of Yo'ldosh's successor, Abu Usman Adil, meeting with Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali-Ur-Rahman Mehsud. On 8 June 2014, the TTP accepted responsibility for conducting

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6292-439: The January 15, 2009 deadline by the Fazlullah-led Taliban were destroyed by the militants in the town of Mingora, the headquarters of the Swat district. Over the past 14 months "more than 170 schools have been bombed or torched, along with other government-owned buildings." Maulvi Omar , a spokesman for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), urged the Fazlullah-led Swati Taliban to rethink the ban on female education. Muslim Khan,

6413-492: The Jehanabad Buddha's face was blown up using dynamite , but was repaired by a group of Italian restorers in a nine-year-long process. Looters subsequently destroyed many of Pakistan's Buddhist artifacts, and deliberately targeted Gandhara Buddhist relics for destruction. Gandhara artifacts remaining from the demolitions were thereafter plundered by thieves and smugglers. Approximately 38% of economy of Swat depends on tourism and 31% depends on agriculture . Gwalerai,

6534-427: The Pakistan government. In May 2014 the Mehsud faction of the TTP defected from the main group to form a breakaway unit called Tehreek-e-Taliban South Waziristan led by Khalid Mehsud. The breakaway group was unhappy with the various activities of the TTP, saying in a statement "We consider kidnapping for ransom, extortion, damage to public facilities and bombings to be un-Islamic. TTP Mehsud group believes in stopping

6655-602: The Pakistani Taliban answered to the Afghan Taliban and pro-Pakistan militant commanders. At the time Pakistani authorities believed that Mehsud was in fact an al-Qaeda operative. In February 2009 Baitullah Mehsud, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulavi Nazir released a statement in which they reaffirmed their allegiance to Osama bin Laden. According to United Nation report, ISIS core leadership sends funds to TTP in Afghanistan to "outsource" attacks due to its depleted manpower. The report also claims that ISIS would cease to exist in Afghanistan without these funds. According to Borhan Osman,

6776-520: The Pakistani army in combat. The Afghan Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban share the same ideology and a dominant Pashtun ethnicity , but they are distinct movements, differing in their histories, structures and goals. The two groups frequently don't get along with each other. An Afghan Taliban spokesman told The New York Times : "We don't like to be involved with them, as we have rejected all affiliation with Pakistani Taliban fighters ... We have sympathy for them as Muslims, but beside that, there

6897-437: The Pakistani military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, some of the TTP militants escaped from Pakistan to Afghanistan, where some of them joined Islamic State – Khorasan Province , while others remained part of the TTP. As of 2019 , there are around 3,000 to 4,000 TTP militants in Afghanistan, according to a United States Department of Defense report. Between July and November 2020, the Amjad Farouqi group, one faction of

7018-434: The S Wing of the Pakistani ISI provided direct support to three major groups carrying out attacks in Afghanistan: the Afghan Taliban based in Quetta, Pakistan, commanded by Mullah Muhammad Omar ; the militant network run by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar ; and a different group run by the guerrilla leader Jalaluddin Haqqani , all considered a strategic asset by Pakistan in contrast to the TTP run by Hakimullah Mehsud, which has engaged

7139-459: The SIM did not last very long and collapsed shortly after its announcement. Qari Mehsud indicated in a video recorded in April 2010 the TTP would make cities in the United States a "main target" in response to U.S. drone attacks on TTP leaders . The TTP claimed responsibility for the December 2009 suicide attack on CIA facilities in Camp Chapman in Afghanistan, as well as the attempted bombing in Times Square in May 2010. In July 2012,

7260-549: The Sham Baba mountainous range, with lush green gardens and large trees being added as "charm" to the climate in the area. More than 20 km² has been covered strategically, as was proposed during the last Wali's rule and constructed later-on by the Pakistani government. The Kanju village has seen an influx of academics in the region and is considered a hub for the Matta and Kabal Tehsils of Swat Valley. The Gandhara grave culture that emerged c. 1400 BCE and lasted until 800 BCE, and named for their distinct funerary practices,

7381-431: The TNSM group used dynamite to obliterate the face of the 23 foot high colossal image of a seated Buddha carved in c. 7th century CE into a reddish rock face on a hillside to the southwest of the village of Jehanabad (Shakhorai) near Manglawar in Swat district . According to Aqleem Khan, an archaeology department official of North Western Frontier Province who spoke to Reuters, the members of this group drilled holes into

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7502-432: The TTP and Punjabi Taliban, Muawiya announced that the Punjabi Taliban was ending their activities within Pakistan to focus on American soldiers in Afghanistan on 13 September 2014. US officials admitted to The New York Times that they found it increasingly difficult to separate the operations of the various Pakistani militant groups active in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Individuals and groups that are believed to have

7623-444: The TTP and pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS). The TTP differs in structure to the Afghan Taliban in that it lacks a central command and is a much looser coalition of various militant groups, united by hostility towards the central government in Islamabad. Several analysts describe the TTP's structure as a loose network of dispersed constituent groups that vary in size and in levels of coordination. The various factions of

7744-438: The TTP in a new direction, sparing civilians and ordering assaults only on security and law enforcement personnel, in an attempt to rehabilitate the group's image and distance them from the Islamic State militant group's extremism. After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan was unable to persuade the Afghan Taliban to crack down on the TTP. The Afghan Taliban instead mediated talks between Pakistan and

7865-452: The TTP leaders was short-lived, however, and instead of fighting alongside the Afghan Taliban the rival Pakistani factions soon engaged in combat with each other. Many Afghan Taliban officials resent the TTP's violent campaign against Pakistan. Afghan Talibans and TTP have also conducted attacks against each other. On 10 October 2013, heavily armed Afghan Talibans attacked a TTP base in Kunar province of Afghanistan . The attack resulted in

7986-479: The TTP reportedly began leaving Pakistan to go to Iraq to fight alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant . In the same month, Asmatullah Muawiya, the commander of the Punjabi Taliban , announced that his faction was ending their armed struggle against the Pakistani state. In October 2014, the TTP's spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid , and the group's commanders in Orakzai , Kurram and Khyber tribal regions and Peshawar and Hangu Districts defected from

8107-460: The TTP tend to be limited to their local areas of influence and often lack the ability to expand their operations beyond that territory. In its original form, the TTP had Baitullah Mehsud as its amir . He was followed in the leadership hierarchy by Hafiz Gul Bahadur as naib amir, or deputy. Faqir Mohammed was the third most influential leader. The group contained members from all of FATA's seven tribal agencies as well as several districts of

8228-465: The TTP threatened to attack Myanmar in the wake of sectarian violence against Rohingya Muslims in the Arakan state. TTP spokesman Ehsanullah demanded the Pakistani government sever relations with Myanmar and close the Burmese embassy in Islamabad, and warned of attacks against Burmese interests if no action was taken. While the TTP has been conducting an insurgency in Pakistan, its ability to expand operations to other countries has been questioned. This

8349-474: The TTP until the group determined how to proceed. Reuters, citing a report from The Express Tribune , indicated in July 2011 that Hakimullah Mehsud's grip on the TTP leadership was weakening after the defection of Fazal Saeed Haqqani, the TTP leader in the Kurram region, from the umbrella militant group. Haqqani cited disagreements over attacks on civilians as reason for the split. The paper quoted an associate of Mehsud's as saying that "it looks as though he

8470-407: The TTP's Peshawar school massacre , the leaders of the Afghan Taliban condemned the TTP's actions on the school, saying it was "Un-Islamic". However, despite the atrocities of the TTP, Pakistan was unable to persuade the Afghan Taliban to crack down on the TTP when the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021. Instead, the Afghan Taliban mediated talks between Pakistan and the TTP that led to

8591-401: The TTP, effectively established their authority in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) by concurrently engaging in military attacks and negotiating with Islamabad . By this time, the militants had killed around 200 rival tribal elders in the region to consolidate control. Several Pakistani analysts also cite the inception of U.S. missile strikes in the FATA as a catalyzing factor in

8712-427: The TTP, leading to the release of dozens of TTP prisoners in Pakistan and a temporary ceasefire between the Pakistani government and the TTP. After the ceasefire expired on 10 December 2021, the TTP increased attacks on Pakistani security forces from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. The Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's Khost and Kunar provinces on 16 April 2022 appeared to have been conducted in retaliation to

8833-486: 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 depends on the tribal belt along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, from which it draws its recruits. The TTP receives ideological guidance from and maintains ties with al-Qaeda . After

8954-466: The TTP. Faqir declared that the 42-member shura had also decided that Azam Tariq would serve as the TTP's primary spokesperson, rather than Muslim Khan. Under the leadership of Hakimullah, the TTP intensified its suicide campaign against the Pakistani state and against civilian (particularly Shia , Qadiyani and Sufi ) targets. On 1 September 2010, the United States designated the TTP as

9075-421: The Taliban central Shura (council) did not have the capacity to remove him because the Punjabi Taliban is a separate group. He added that his group has its own decision-making body to decide leadership and other matters. After a US drone strike in Pakistan near Miranshah which killed 2 Punjabi Taliban members and interrupted a period of time with no drone strikes in which the Pakistani government held talks with

9196-406: The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and killed around 200 rival Pakistani leaders. They officially defined goals to establish their rule over Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas subsequently engaging the Pakistani army in heavy combat operations. Intelligence analysts believe that these TTP's attacks on the Pakistani government, police and army strained relations between the Pakistani Taliban and

9317-501: The authorities, the security campaign against suspected al-Qaeda militants turned into an undeclared war between the Pakistani military and the rebel tribesmen. Many of the TTP's leaders are veterans of the fighting in Afghanistan and have supported the fight against the NATO -led International Security Assistance Force by providing soldiers, training, and logistics . In 2004 various tribal groups, as explained above, that would later form

9438-645: The collapse of Buddhism in Swat following the Alchon Hun invasion, Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty beginning in the 8th century, who made their capital at Udigram in lower Swat. The Hindu Shahis are believed to belong to the Uḍi/Oḍi tribe, namely the people of Oddiyana , present-day Swat. The Shahis built an extensive array of temples and other architectural buildings, of which ruins remain today. Under their rule, Hinduism ascended, and Sanskrit

9559-463: The death of three TTP commanders. However, TTP denied any losses. Again on 25 June 2016, Afghan Talibans and TTP clashed with each other in the Kunar province of Afghanistan. Afghan defense ministry claims that eight TTP militants and six Afghan Talibans were killed in the clash. Moreover, Some Sources also claim that TTP was behind the death of Nasiruddin Haqqani because TTP believed that Haqqani Network

9680-507: The east and southeast, respectively. The former tehsil of Buner was granted the status of a separate district in 1991. The Swat Valley is enclosed by mountains that forms a natural geographic boundary for it. The Swat River whose headwaters arise in the 5,500-to-5,800-metre-tall (18,000–19,000 ft) Hindu Kush mountain range runs through the length of the region. The main area consists of many sub valleys such as Kalam , Bahrain , Matiltan , Utror , and Gabral . The Valley of Swat

9801-467: The end of August 2009, however, leading members in the TTP had confirmed Hakimullah Mehsud as its second amir. Government and some TTP sources told the media that Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in January 2010 by injuries sustained during a U.S. drone attack. Unconfirmed reports from Orakzai Agency stated, after the death of Hakimullah Mehsud, Malik Noor Jamal, alias Maulana Toofan, had assumed leadership of

9922-469: The end of the day, there is quite a relationship between them." Director of National Intelligence and United States Navy Admiral, Dennis C. Blair , told U.S. senators that the Pakistani state and army meanwhile draw clear distinctions among different militant groups. While links exist between the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, the two groups are distinct enough for the Pakistani military to be able to view them very differently. American officials said that

10043-588: The enforcement of Sharia law. Sufi Muhammad fomented an insurrection in Malakand Division (Dir, Swat, Bajaur, Chitral) on the basis of a demand for Sharia law. The uprising was quashed by the Pakistan military but not before TNSM had brought the Dir and Swat under its control. Timergara was besieged by government artillery and fighting was particularly intense in Swat. It is alleged that while under TNSM control, drivers were forced to switch to driving on

10164-648: The government had stalled the implementation of sharia courts in the Swat valley. President Asif Ali Zardari refused to sign any agreement until peace had been restored in the valley but failed to elaborate on how those conditions would be achieved. At the strong recommendation of the National Assembly President Zardari signed the agreement, the Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2009 , on April 13, 2009. A spokesman for Sufi Muhammad , Amir Izzat Khan, stated that

10285-434: The group and that Wali-ur-Rehman was expected to be formally announced as the head of the TTP. However a video released later in the month showed Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali-ur-Rehman seated next to each other, with Mehsud calling reports of a split between the two as propaganda. Mehsud and Rahman were later killed in separate airstrikes in 2013. In February 2020, the TTP reported the deaths of four TTP senior leaders within

10406-541: The group from elsewhere in North Waziristan , many of them originally from outside Pakistan, including Afghans and Arabs. As part of what it sees as enforcement of Sharia law, the group has bombed girls schools and blown up video and CD shops. Fazlullah has also used his FM broadcasts to urge schoolgirls to wear all-covering burqas and has forced the closure of some development organizations, accusing them of spreading immorality by employing female staff. During

10527-430: The group, froze its bank accounts and assets, and barred it from media appearances. The government also announced that bounties would be placed on prominent leaders of the TTP. In late December 2008 and early January 2009, Mullah Omar sent a delegation, led by former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mullah Abdullah Zakir , to persuade leading members of the TTP to put aside differences and aid the Afghan Taliban in combating

10648-602: The high valleys and alpine meadows of Swat Kohistan (Swat Mountains) , a region where numerous glaciers feed the Usho , and Gabral rivers (also known as the Utrar River), which form a confluence at Kalam, and thereafter forms the Swat river - which forms the spine of the Swat Valley and district. Swat then is characterized by thick forests along the narrow gorges of the Kalam Valley until the city of Madyan . From there,

10769-513: The hills at the southern entrance of Swat, at the Malakand Pass . Around 1001 CE, the last Hindu Shahi king, Jayapala was decisively defeated at the Battle of Peshawar (1001) by Mahmud of Ghazni , thereby ending 2 centuries of Hindu rule over Gandhara. The Sultanate of Swat was the last Dardic state that existed in the Swat valley between 12th and 16th centuries. It was conquered by

10890-437: The larger, northern part of the district, and is mainly inhabited by the indigenous Kohistani , Torwali and Kalami peoples. Swat Proper forms the lower portion of the district and has a Pashtun majority, with a significant Gujar population. In terms of administrative divisions, Swat is surrounded by Chitral , Upper Dir and Lower Dir to the west, Gilgit-Baltistan to the north, and Kohistan , Buner and Shangla to

11011-511: The law would allow for peace in the Swat region and that the Taliban was in the process of disarmament. Muslim Khan added that an "Islamic syllabus" would be instituted in schools and that women would not be allowed to go to jobs or to markets so as not to become "show-pieces." In June 2009, Pakistani security forces bombed and destroyed the Imam Dheri compound that served as Fazlullah's headquarters. The compound had contained residences,

11132-432: The lower plains experience occasional snow. Both regions are subject to two monsoon seasons - one in winter and the other in summer. Swat's lower reaches have vegetation characterized by dry bush and deciduous trees, while the upper areas mostly have thick pine forests. The Saidu Sharif Airport at Kanju is a stone throw from Mingora, adding much to the tourism in the past. The runway is situated between Swat River and

11253-407: The most dangerous religious militant groups in Pakistan." The head of the organisation, Sufi Muhammad (1933-2019), was freed in 2008 after he renounced violence. TNSM militia members are "identified by their shoulder-length hair and camouflage vests over traditional shalwar kameez clothing", according to a 2007 Associated Press report. Numerous non-native militants have been recruited to work with

11374-475: The oppressor from cruelty, and supporting the oppressed." The Mehsuds were widely seen as the most important group in the TTP and their loss was regarded as a major blow. In February 2017, the TTP announced that the Mehsud faction had rejoined the group, following the "defection of the rogue elements to the rival parties". In August 2014, hardline elements of the TTP from four of the seven tribal districts formed

11495-671: The overall war against al-Qaeda. ... Since the start of the operation, the [Pakistani] military authorities have firmly established that a large number of Uzbek , Chechen and Arab militants were in the area. ... It was in July 2002 that Pakistani troops, for the first time in 55 years, entered the Tirah Valley ( Orakzai Agency ) in Khyber tribal agency. Soon they were in Shawal valley of North Waziristan, and later in South Waziristan. ... This

11616-459: The peach production of the country - thus oft marketed in the national markets with a branded as "Swat Peaches". The supply starts in April and continues till September because of a diverse range of varieties grown. Salampur village, located near Saidu Sharif , is a principle region in Pakistan for the manufacture of sheets and shawls. As of the 2023 census , Swat district has 381,212 households and

11737-474: The region mistakenly thought that the assault was against the Afghan Taliban of Mullah Omar. The TTP has almost exclusively targeted elements of the Pakistani state. The Afghan Taliban however have historically relied on support from the Pakistani army in their campaign to control Afghanistan. Regular Pakistani army troops fought alongside the Afghan Taliban in the War in Afghanistan (1996–2001) . Major leaders of

11858-610: The release of dozens of TTP prisoners in Pakistan. In November 2021, the Afghan Taliban helped facilitate a one-month ceasefire between the government of prime minister Imran Khan and the TTP. The ceasefire was not renewed when it expired, however, and the TTP emir, Noor Wali Mehsud , asked his fighters to resume their attacks in Pakistan from 10 December 2021. In July 2011, after Pakistani missile attacks against Afghan provinces, Pakistani media reports alleged that senior Pakistani Taliban leaders were operating from Afghanistan to launch attacks against Pakistani border posts. According to

11979-504: The reports and denied the possibility of Pakistani Taliban setting up bases in Afghan Taliban-controlled areas. Tameem Nuristani, Governor of Afghanistan's Nuristan Province, told The Express Tribune that while the "Afghan Taliban have never carried out cross-border attacks in Pakistan," TTP militants may have "safe-havens" in Kunar and Nuristan in "areas where the government's writ does not exist". In June 2012

12100-745: The reports, Qari Zia-ur-Rahman hosted Faqir Muhammad in Kunar province while Sheikh Dost Muhammad, a local Afghan Taliban leader, hosted Maulana Fazlullah in Nuristan province . Faqir Muhammad, who claimed responsibility for a 4 July 2011 attack on a paramilitary checkpoint and for similar attacks in June 2011 on several border villages in Bajaur, stated during a radio broadcast, "Our fighters carried out these two attacks from Afghanistan, and we will launch more such attacks inside Afghanistan and in Pakistan." Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid strongly rejected

12221-466: The right side of the road, which resulted in many accidents. Sufi Muhammad was jailed in November for sending thousands of volunteers to Afghanistan to fight the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. During his imprisonment, Muhammad's son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah , known as "Mullah Radio" for his pirate FM station broadcasts, led TNSM. President Pervez Musharraf banned the group on January 12, 2002. After

12342-652: The rise of tribal militancy in the area. More specifically they single out an October 2006 strike on a madrassah in Bajaur that was run by the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi as a turning point. In December 2007, the existence of the TTP was officially announced under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud . It was formed in response to Pakistan military operation against Al-Qaeda militants in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in 2007. On 25 August 2008, Pakistan banned

12463-582: The river courses gently for 160 km through the wider Yousufzai Plains of the lower Swat Valley until Chakdara . Climate in Swat is a function of altitude, with mountains in the Kohistan region snow-clad year round. The upper areas of the region are relatively colder and often get snowfall in the winter. Drier, warmer temperatures in the lower portions in the Yousafzai Plains where summer temperatures can reach 105 °F (41 °C), although

12584-600: The rock, filled them with dynamite, then set off the explosion on October 9, 2007, morning. Sufi Muhammad was released after he renounced violence in discussion with the provincial government. Eight leaders of TNSM signed a peace agreement that recognized the provincial government's sovereignty, urged an end to violence and declared attacks against police, military and government targets "un-Islamic." As of January 2009 Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi had established Shariah courts, that "openly administer punishment to people who dared to violate their strict code of conduct" in

12705-508: The seminary hadn't opened for students, it was drawing thousands of worshippers for Friday prayers, residents told the Associated Press. Fazlullah's spokesman, Sirajuddin, then based at the seminary, is a gray-bearded militant who goes by only one name. About 250 militants died in two weeks of fighting in late November, during which the two-square-kilometer base was bombarded by artillery, according to Pakistani authorities. People in

12826-652: The shared border. In 2009 Pakistan launched offensives to force the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan from its territory in South Waziristan . Some analysts say the fighting pushed TTP militants to the Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan, where they have regrouped to threaten Pakistani border regions. The Pakistani military claims "scanty presence" of NATO and Afghan forces along the border has enabled militants to use these areas as safe havens and launch repeated attacks inside Pakistan. Afghan officials state that

12947-461: The shooting, Interior Minister Rehman Malik could not confirm his death. On 18 August, Pakistani security officials announced the capture of Maulvi Omar , chief spokesperson of the TTP. Omar, who had denied the death of Baitullah, retracted his previous statements and confirmed the leader's death in the missile strike. He also acknowledged turmoil among TTP leadership following the killing. After Omar's capture, Maulana Faqir Mohammed announced to

13068-462: The surge in terror attacks in Pakistan. The roots of the TTP as an organization began in 2002 when the Pakistani military conducted incursions into the tribal areas to originally combat foreign ( Afghan , Arab and Central Asian ) militants fleeing from the war in Afghanistan into the neighboring tribal areas of Pakistan . A 2004 article by the BBC explains: The military offensive had been part of

13189-502: The valley around 403 CE, mentions 500 monasteries. Swat and the wider region of Gandhara were overrun by the Alchon Huns around about 465 CE. Under the rule of Mihirakula , Buddhism was suppressed as he himself became virulently anti-Buddhist after a perceived slight against him by a Buddhist monk. Under his rule, Buddhist monks were reportedly killed, and Buddhist shrines attacked. He himself appears to have been inclined towards

13310-518: The withdrawal of US forces out of parts of Kunar province beginning in 2010 created a power vacuum that militants filled. They point to the fact that the Afghan state in some areas has little control due to its war against the Afghan Taliban which are supported by Pakistan according to many international and Afghan institutions, analysts and officials. Pakistan vehemently denies this claim, although some Afghan Taliban commanders stated that their training

13431-565: The word Swat from the Sanskrit word shveta ( lit.   ' white ' ), also used to describe the clear water of the Swat River. To the ancient Greeks, the river was known as the Soastus. The Chinese pilgrim Faxian referred to Swat as the Su-ho-to . Swat's total area is 5,337 square kilometres (2,061 sq mi). Swat District consists of two well-defined geographic regions, Swat Kohistan and Swat Proper. Swat Kohistan forms

13552-410: Was a rare occasion in which it warned of violence in another country. In August 2009, a missile strike from a suspected U.S. drone killed Baitullah Mehsud. The TTP soon held a shura to appoint his successor. Government sources reported that fighting broke out during the shura between Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali-ur-Rehman . While Pakistani news channels reported that Hakimullah had been killed in

13673-463: Was behind the death of Hakimullah Mehsud as they disclosed whereabouts of Hakimullah Mehsud to US military in Afghanistan. Since 2007, the TTP had been responsible for some of the worst terrorist attacks in Pakistan , including the 2014 Peshawar school massacre , and had targeted civilians and security forces in wave after wave of suicide bombings , improvised explosive device (IED) blasts, targeted killings and other forms of attacks. Following

13794-646: Was found along the Middle Swat River course. Swat, then known as Oddiyana , was a major centre of Gandhara civilization . In 327 BCE, Alexander the Great fought his way to Odigram and Barikot and stormed their battlements; in Greek accounts , these towns are identified as Ora and Bazira . After the Alexandrian invasion of Swat, and adjacent regions of Buner , control of the wider Gandhara region

13915-599: Was handed to Seleucus I Nicator . In 305 BCE, the Mauryan Emperor conquered the wider region from the Greeks, and probably established control of Swat, until their control of the region ceased around 187 BCE. It was during the rule of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka that Buddhism was introduced into Swat, and some of the earliest stupas built in the region. Following collapse of Mauryan rule, Swat came under control of

14036-572: Was indeed overseen by "ISI officers in a camp in Pakistan" and that they were being armed by Pakistan to fight the Afghan state and international troops in Afghanistan. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has close ties to Al Qaeda , sharing money and bomb experts and makers. John Brennan , President Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, said: "It's a group that is closely allied with al-Qaeda. They train together, they plan together, they plot together. They are almost indistinguishable." Ambassador-at-large Daniel Benjamin stated, "The T.T.P. and Al Qaeda have

14157-568: Was introduced, in which Swat is included. This system has 67 wards , in which the total amount of village councils are around 170, while neighbourhood councils number around 44. The region elects three male members of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (MPAs) and two female MPAs. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections,

14278-426: Was made possible after long negotiations with various tribes, who reluctantly agreed to allow the military's presence on the assurance that it would bring in funds and development work. But once the military action started in South Waziristan a number of Waziri sub-tribes took it as an attempt to subjugate them. Attempts to persuade them into handing over the foreign militants failed, and with an apparently mishandling by

14399-682: Was overrun by the Indo-Scythians , and then the Persian Parthian Empire around 50 CE. The arrival of the Parthians began the long tradition of Greco-Buddhist art , which was a syncretic form of art combining Buddhist imagery with heavy Hellenistic-Greek influences. This art form is credited with having the first representations of the Buddha in human form, rather than symbolically. The Parthians were ousted from Swat by

14520-476: Was re-established in mid-2009 after a month-long campaign. During their occupation, the group attacked Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012, who at the time was a young school-girl who wrote a blog for BBC Urdu detailing life under Tehreek-i-Taliban rule, and their curb on girls' education. Kushan -era Buddhist stupas and statues in the Swat Valley were demolished by the Tehreek-i-Taliban, and

14641-606: Was soon removed by Facebook and the account suspended. In a May 2010 interview, U.S. Gen. David Petraeus described the TTP's relationship with other militant groups as difficult to decipher: "There is clearly a symbiotic relationship between all of these different organizations: al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban, the Afghan Taliban, TNSM [Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi]. And it's very difficult to parse and to try to distinguish between them. They support each other, they coordinate with each other, sometimes they compete with each other, [and] sometimes they even fight each other. But at

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