Pak-Afghan Clashes Herald A Wider Conflict Over the TTP

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 1 September 2025 Pakistan carried out drone attacks in Khost and Nangarhar in Afghanistan Main Points: 1. Two factions of TTP have clashed in Afghanistan. 2. Afghan authorities held meeting with warring factions of TTP. 3. UN report says 6000 militants are active in Afghanistan. 4. 6 million dollar UAE fund was misused by Afghanistan. ----- Heavy fighting has been going on at the Pak-Afghan border after Pakistan carried out drone attacks in the Khost and Nangarhar states of Afghanistan on the night of the 27th August killing some civilians including children. The Taliban government termed the attacks an attack on its sovereignty. Taliban forces have carried out retaliatory attacks on the Pakistani checkposts in Upper Dir at the border killing 6 Pak soldiers and abducting some. Pakistan has accused Afghan Taliban of harbouring and funding TTP militants who carry out terrorist operations in Pakistan, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Field Marshall Gen. Asim Munir had even warned of army operation in Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago. On the 20th of August, a trilateral meeting was held in Kabul in which foreign ministers of Afghanistan, Pakistan and China had participated but no declaration on the outcome of the meeting was released by the Taliban government suggesting that the meeting was a failure.The issue of TTP was supposed to be included in the agenda apart form trade issues and CPEC. Pakistan attacked Afghanistan exactly a week after the failed meeting. Pakistani drones had struck the houses of one Shahsawar and Haji Nayeem Khan killing three children and injuring two adults. However, Taliban has denied the involvement of Shahsawar and Nayeem Khan in militant activities. Pakistan, on the other hand has claimed that a number of TTP militants have been killed in the strikes. According to another report, two factions of the TTP clashed on the night of August 27. The TTP has been divided in Noor Wali Mahsud group and Hafiz Gul Bahadur group. Noor Wali Masood group says that Gul Bahadur group is hand in glove with the Pak army and it informs the Pak army of its movements and plans. As a result, a large number of militants associated with the group have been killed in fighting in Pakistan whereas the militants associated with Gul Bahadur group are largely safe. Therefore, it seems that the Pak army attacked the hideouts of Mahsud group in Afghanistan. According to a Pakistani YouTuber Fida Adeel, Taliban authorities held a meeting with the two factions after the Pak attacks. The two factions have differences over the control of territories. It is not the first time that Pakistan has attacked TTP targets in Afghanistan. It had attacked TTP hideouts in Paktika on 23-24 December 2023 killing at least 50 militants. Another attack was carried out in March 2024 in which 8 militants were killed. Again, a TTP base was attacked in December 2024. The latest attack was carried out on 27 August 2025. This hostility has resulted in a heavy border clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In another development, the UAE has asked the Taliban government to submit details of expenditure of its 6 million dollars given the Taliban government for resettlement and rehabilitation of Afghan militants and their families. According to reports in the Pakistani media, the UAE government had granted 6 million dollars to the Taliban government to shift the families of militants from the eastern Afghanistan to the central or western Afghanistan and rehabilitate them and help them start a new life. 2000 such families were supposed to be rehabilitated in Ghazni or adjoining areas. The Taliban government was supposed to build houses and create jobs for them. But according to Pak media reports, the Taliban government could not furnish details of its resettlement plan. The Taliban government has allegedly misused the funds and has done nothing to rehabilitate the militants. Meanwhile, Russia has informed Pakistan that about 23000 foreign militants are active in Afghanistan. According to the UN, about 6000 militants are active in Afghanistan. These militants are a threat not only to Pakistan but also to the whole region. Taliban government was grappling with only the ISIS but now other militant organisations have also tried to build base in Afghanistan. Earlier, Pakistan promoted Taliban as a strategic tool of its foreign policy. Now, Taliban is using the TTP as a strategic tool of its foreign policy. The policy of using terrorism and militancy has brought the two neighbours to the battlefield. Pakistan had created the Taliban with the help of the US but now, the Taliban have become its foe and have turned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into a battle field by supporting the TTP and sending its militants to fight in the KP. Pakistan is fighting on two fronts. One against the BLA in Balochistan and, two, against the TTP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan's policy of patronising terrorist groups has boomeranged and has posed a serious threat to its unity and integrity. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/pak-afghan-herald-conflict-ttp/d/136664 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism