SUMMARY

TTP – MT (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan – Mullah Toofan faction, Taleban Movement of Pakistan – Mullah Toofan faction) is a group of militants belonging to the Taleban Movement of Pakistan (TTP). TTP is an umbrella organisation covering numerous militant groups, most of them based in the tribal areas along the border to Afghanistan. TTP was formally established in December 2007 as an alliance of various militant leaders and Sunni extremists. Their stated goals are to enforce Sharia law and to perform defensive jihad against the Pakistan army. Despite being part of TTP and sharing the same ideology and overarching goals, many of the factions are deeply rooted in their parts of the tribal areas and have distinct identities.

Mullah Toofan functions as TTP’s commander in Kurram Agency, a remote part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan. Most of the militants under Toofan’s command hail from Orakzai and Waziristan and originally belong to the Taleban movements in these agencies. Taleban militants from these agencies have increasingly become involved in Kurram Agency and have gained more influence in this region and the sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shia tribes in Kurram.

The Mullah Toofan faction of TTP has been in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.