The leader of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Noor Wali Mehsud, has been caught on a leaked call orchestrating terror attacks across Pakistan.
In the leaked audio, Noor Wali Mehsud’s directives include targeting schools, hospitals, and residences of military and police personnel to destabilize the country’s security.
The development reinforces Islamabad’s longstanding claim that Afghan soil serves as a launch pad for terrorist activities against Pakistan, with many TTP leaders, including Mehsud, operating from Afghanistan.
Security sources identified other participants in the call as TTP local commanders Ahmad Hussain Mehsud, also known as Ghat Haji, and Saqib Gandapur. They discussed strategies to inflame Pakistan’s security situation discreetly, such as bombing government institutions and homes of security personnel without claiming these acts, thereby avoiding direct attribution to the TTP.
This revelation follows the recent terrorist assault on Bannu Cantonment, where Pakistani forces foiled a major attack by militants, resulting in casualties on both sides. The attackers, linked to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group and the TTP, attempted to breach the cantonment with a vehicle laden with explosives. Pakistan’s Foreign Office has formally demanded that Kabul take immediate action against these groups to prevent further attacks from Afghan territory.
In response to the escalating threat from such groups, Pakistan’s government initiated Operation Azm-e-Istehkam last month, a robust national anti-terror campaign aimed at curbing the rise in terrorism. According to a recent security report, the country witnessed 380 terrorism-related deaths and 220 injuries in the second quarter of 2024 alone, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, being the primary regions affected.
This surge in violence underscores the critical challenges Pakistan faces from terrorist factions based in Afghanistan, highlighting the urgent need for effective counter-terrorism measures and international cooperation to secure peace and stability in the region.
