SUMMARY

In 2008 rival Taleban leaders in Mohmand Agency in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) started fighting each other. One of the commanders was Shah Khalid, also known as Shah Sahib, who controlled a group of pro-government Taleban in the area. The Forces of Shah Sahib, often referred to as Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JAH), had been involved in fighting the U.S forces in Afghanistan, but was not interested in fighting the Pakistani security forces. The other Taleban group in the area, led by Omar Khalid and part of the TTP, was hostile to the Pakistani government and accused JAH of cooperating with the security forces.

Tension mounted between the two groups when the Forces of Shah Sahib killed a member of TTP in July 2008, and heavy fighting erupted. After three days of fighting in Mohmand agency, during which the leader Shah Sahib was killed, two senior Taleban leaders managed to mediate a ceasefire between the warring parties. One week later the parties signed a peace agreement, in which the followers of Khalid agreed to abide by the rules of TTP.

Sophisticated weapons, such as mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, were used by both sides in the fighting and both groups admitted heavy losses. The fighting was concentrated to Mohmand agency in FATA.

The non-state conflict between the Forces of Shah Sahib and TTP is first included in UCDP data in 2008, when violence resulted in over 25 battle-related deaths. The threshold was reached in July that year, when clashes between the two groups resulted in more than 50 battle-related deaths.