Ahrar ul Hind (Urdu: احرار الہند; lit. freeones of India) was a militant Islamist group in Pakistan that split from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in February 2014. During peace talks between the Pakistani government and TTP, Ahrar-ul-Hind issued a statement to the media rejecting the talks,[1] and announcing that they would not accept any peace agreement. Following its initial announcement, the group claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in Pakistan,[2] including the Islamabad court attack, before merging into the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group in August 2014.[3]
Etymology
editThe group's name literally means freedom fighters of India (referring to the Indian subcontinent as a whole).[4] According to a commander of a Taliban group, the group derived its name of "Ahrar" from Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam, because the Ahraris were against the partition of India and the formation of Pakistan; they, rather, believed that the entire subcontinent was their homeland. The commander said that the group planned to expand their operations to the remaining part of the subcontinent.[5]
Split from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
editThe group mostly contained Taliban from Mohmand Agency's Tribes,[6] with some members from the Punjabi Taliban based in southern Punjab.[4] Many of its members are based in eastern Afghanistan.[4] While the group claimed to have split from the TTP because of opposition to peace talks with the government and after advice from a certain Paracha saab (a patwari of note),[7] some observers believed the group was used by the TTP to carry out deniable attacks without disrupting the cease fire talks.[8]
Relations with TTP
editThe Pakistani government made disowning Ahrar-ul-Hind a condition of the TTP for peace talks to continue, while simultaneously carrying out airstrikes on Ahrar-ul-Hind bases.[9] In response, the Taliban announced a ceasefire and accepted the condition of dealing with Ahrar-ul-Hind. After this announcement, the group claimed an attack on the Islamabad High Court in March 2014.[10]
In August 2014, Omar Khalid Khorasani merged Ahrar-ul-Hind with other dissident TTP commanders into a new group called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, formally splitting away from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in September 2014.[3][11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ahrar-ul-Hind, a new group of terrorists on screen". AAJ News. 15 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Ahrar-ul Hind claims bomb attacks in Quetta and Peshwar". The News. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar forms in northwestern Pakistan". Long War Journal. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
- ^ a b c "Ahrarul Hind claims support of senior TTP commanders". Dawn. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
- ^ "Pakistani jihadists form Ahrar-ul-Hind, vow to continue attacks". The Nation. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Ahrar-e-Hind (TTP Mohmand Group) : the 21st Century reincarnation of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Hind". Pak Tea House. 3 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Pakistani jihadists form Ahrar-ul-Hind, vow to continue attacks". Long War Journal. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Pakistani Taliban tactics spread silent fear". Asia Times. 26 March 2014. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "PAF air strikes on militants' hideouts kill 35". The News. 20 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Twin suicide attack in Islamabad district court leaves 11 dead, 25 injured". The Express Tribune. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Pakistan Taliban faction announce split, new leader". Agence France-Presse. 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.