TTP Chief Noor Wali Mehsud has united over 30 groups of terrorist outfits since 2018, and he has also restored the monopoly of the Mehsud clan in the Fitna Al-Khawarij terrorist group. He manipulates commanders and militants through power games for complete control of the terrorist outfit and deceives militants with religious articulation. He divides them when it suits his interests and favors a reunion after suppressing rival commanders.

Noor Wali Mehsud exploits tribalism and religious sentiments to consolidate control over terrorist groups amid internal rifts.

In a fresh episode of infighting among Fitna Al-Khawarij (FAK) commanders, an important terrorist commander from the Bajaur group of FAK, Rahimullah, alias Omer Shahid, has been killed in Kunar, Afghanistan. He was assassinated in a gun attack in which his three close associates were also killed. The slain commander had developed differences with Noor Wali Mehsud, and he eliminated him to suppress opposition for complete control over militants.

Reportedly, Noor Wali has also engaged the Hafiz Gulbahadur group for a merger with Fitna Al-Khawarij TTP. The group has recently demonstrated a potent capability for violence in North Waziristan and joining areas. FAK desires to control it, but Hafiz Gulbahadur is unlikely to submit to Noor Wali. The failure of these discussions could lead to clashes with Fitna Al-Khawarij, as Noor Wali is very voracious in this regard.

Fitna Al-Khawarij announced a reunion with its Mohmand chapter, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA), after serious clashes in 2023 in which scores of commanders and militants were killed. The split took place when Noor Wali attempted to enforce his favorite commanders on JuA. JuA broke away from FAK in 2014, and Noor Wali brought it into the Fitna Al-Khawarij fold in 2020. Shockingly, JuA chief Omar Khalid Khorasani was killed after this reunion, raising doubts about Noor Wali’s machinations.

FAK militants, demoralized by leadership struggles and fugitive lifestyles, question their false Jihad ideology.

The lies and deceits of top commanders are increasingly becoming disturbing for the militants of FAK. It conducts attacks in Pakistan but denies its responsibility, raising doubts about its motives and designs. Moreover, many militants are aware of turf wars among commanders and vengeance killings of rivals; therefore, they have lost heart in the misleading ideology of FAK leadership against Pakistan.

The rifts among Fitna Al-Khawarij commanders mainly occur over top appointments, funds, and assets. They are further aggravated by personal grudges and tribalism. Slain Hakimullah Mehsud killed several commanders for holding on to FAK from 2009 to 2013. Similarly, slain Mullah Fazlullah also killed scores of FAK militants in turf wars from 2014 to 2018.

Fitna Al-Khawarij terrorists are losing belief in the narrative of false Jihad in Pakistan, as most of them have also become fed up with a fugitive style of living in Afghanistan, and they want to return to their community, families, and friends. They are also facing pressure from close family elders to quit terrorism as the war against foreign forces has ended in the region.

After the departure of ISAF and NATO forces from Afghanistan and the termination of logistic support setups in Pakistan, they have no reason to continue terrorist attacks, and they question the killings of Muslims on a large scale in terrorism. Thus, militants are demoralized, and they are facing the pressure of leadership to participate in terrorist activities.

Islamic scholars and Afghan Taliban segments oppose FAK’s indiscriminate attacks, disillusioning its commanders and fighters.

Islamic scholars, religious seminaries, and mosques have become very vocal against terrorism in Pakistan, and some segments of the Afghan Taliban are also showing opposition to FAK attacks on innocent Muslims. Building ideological pressure has disillusioned some commanders and a large number of militants of Fitna Al-Khawarij, and they have become remorseful over the indiscriminate killings of innocent people in terrorist attacks.

However, FAK chief Noor Wali Mehsud is an ambitious person for power, and he is exploiting tribalism and misusing religious sentiments for personal glorification. In this quest, he is collaborating with anti-Pakistan forces, Indian proxies, and international terrorist organizations to revamp terrorism in Pakistan.

Counterterrorism experts believe that Noor Wali Mehsud is seeking greater control over terrorist groups to deter the Afghan Taliban as Pakistan is putting pressure on the interim Afghan government for his arrest and a check on the activities of Fitna Al-Khawarij on Afghan soil. However, some analysts revealed that he is uniting terrorist groups under the pressure of proxies of Indian R&AW to revamp terrorism in Pakistan.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.