This Video Does Not Show A Recent Attack By TTP on Pakistani Security Forces
The Claim
TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) ambush on a Pakistan security forces vehicle.
News posted on
Emerging story
Recently, social media users have been circulating a video claiming to depict an ambush by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on a vehicle of Pakistani security forces, resulting in the deaths of at least four and injuries to others.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
Misbar's team found that the video dates back to 2022 and is not related to the recent Pakistani strikes on eastern Afghanistan.
Pakistan Acknowledges Anti-Terror Operations in Afghanistan Amid Tensions with Taliban
The circulation of the claim came after Pakistan acknowledged conducting "intelligence-based anti-terrorist operations" in Afghanistan following allegations from the Taliban that Pakistan was responsible for the deaths of eight women and children. However, Pakistan clarified that its actions were in response to a militant attack that resulted in the deaths of seven Pakistani soldiers.
The Taliban denied any involvement in the attack and condemned the strikes, stating that they had hit "civilian homes" recklessly. Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban government, cautioned Pakistan against attributing its internal issues to Afghanistan and warned of potential consequences beyond Pakistan's control. Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been escalating since the Taliban regained power in 2021. Pakistan has cited a surge in militant attacks and accused certain elements in power of supporting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and using them as a proxy against Pakistan.
Resurgence of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stands as the largest militant organization challenging the Pakistani state. According to the United Nations, the TTP commands several thousand fighters, maintaining strongholds on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
While Pakistani military operations, U.S. drone strikes, and internal conflicts contributed to the TTP's decline between 2014 and 2018, the group has experienced a significant resurgence following the peace agreement between the Afghan Taliban and the U.S. government in February 2020. Since July 2020, the TTP has absorbed ten militant factions opposed to the Pakistani state, including three Pakistani branches of al-Qaeda and four major splinter groups that broke away from the TTP in 2014. These mergers have led to an increase in TTP-led violence, with the trend intensifying after the Afghan Taliban's seizure of Kabul in August 2021.
Read More
Video of Robert De Niro Confronting Palestine Supporters in New York Shared Out of Context
This Video Does Not Depict U.S. Police Dispersing Student Protests Against the Gaza War
