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Militants competing for the 'terror trophy'
[DAWN] Both Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and Al Qaeda have grabbed credit of the attack in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. . Although an operational cooperation between the two cannot be overruled, there is a strong likelihood that the TTP has managed this attack in conjunction with its Central Asian Death Eater associates. A review of some high-profile attacks suggests that four major Death Eater formations act at different phases to carry out these attacks: Al Qaeda planned and strategised TTP provided logistical support Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) served as operational core Some local Death Eater group facilitated such attacks on ground The Peshawar school attack has been launched when TTP and other local and international groups are passing through certain transformations and internal crises. The Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... 's (IS) inspiration has widened their ideological and operational spectrum. Dissatisfied commanders are challenging their leadership and forming their own groups. Internal infighting among gunnies has also initiated a competition between the different groups and factions not only to prove leadership skills but also operational capabilities. Jamaatul Ahrar, a group that recently splintered away from TTP on similar grounds, has managed a series of attacks in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... , Fata and grabbed credit for the suicide kaboom at Wagah border, Lahore. These attacks certainly put pressure on the TTP led by Mullah Fazlullah  ...son-in-law of holy man Sufi Mohammad. Known as Mullah FM, Fazlullah had the habit of grabbing his FM mike when the mood struck him and bellowing forth sermons. Sufi suckered the Pak govt into imposing Shariah on the Swat Valley and then stepped aside whilst Fazlullah and his Talibs imposed a reign of terror on the populace like they hadn't seen before, at least not for a thousand years or so. For some reason the Pak intel services were never able to locate his transmitter, much less bomb it. After ruling the place like a conquered province for a year or so, Fazlullah's Talibs began gobbling up more territory as they pushed toward Islamabad, at which point as a matter of self-preservation the Mighty Pak Army threw them out and chased them into Afghanistan... in terms of how to remain relevant in the changing Death Eater landscape of Pakistain. At present, the TTP has its bases in Kunar, Nuristan and Khost province ... across the border from Miranshah, within commuting distance of Haqqani hangouts such as Datta Khel and probably within sight of Mordor. Khost is populated by six different tribes of Pashtuns, the largest probably being the Khostwal, from which it takes its name... s of Afghanistan and still has strong nexus with Central Asian gunnies and Al Qaeda. There is a strong probability that TTP took the lead in the Peshawar school attack in collaboration with its Central Asian allies. The tactics employed in this attack were not new. Initial reports suggest that the turbans were in military uniforms and carried heavy weaponry, boom jackets and sufficient food; indicating they had planned to prolong the operation as they had managed to do in their attacks on the Mehran airbase in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... and the Jinnah International Airport. The surprising element this time was their selection of the target -- a soft civilian target. After the Mina Bazaar attack in Peshawar, a debate over the selection of civilian targets had sprung up among the terrorists, but the attack on the school shows that turbans can cross all limits when they have reached a certain stage of frustration. The attack has therefore increased the degree of vulnerability of civilian and civilian-cum-military interests across the country. A replication of, or increase in such attacks in the near future cannot be ruled out. Though managing large-scale attacks is not an easy task for the terrorists, growing competition among these groups has increased the level of threat. Posted by: Fred 2014-12-18 |
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