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Organization From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (Arabic: جماعة الأحرار, romanized: Jamā‘at ul-Āḥrār, "Assembly of the Free," abbreviated as JuA[11]) was a terrorist organization that split away from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in August 2014.[12] The group came to prominence after it claimed responsibility for the 2014 Wagah border suicide attack. In August 2020, it merged back to TTP.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar | |
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جماعة الأحرار | |
![]() ![]() Flag of the Jihad, which was used by the group multiple times | |
Leaders |
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Dates of operation | August 2014 – August 2020[3] August 2020 – present (as part of Pakistani Taliban)[4] |
Allegiance |
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Headquarters | Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan (Formerly) |
Active regions | Pakistan Afghanistan |
Ideology | Wahhabism Salafi jihadism Takfirism |
Notable attacks | 2023 Peshawar mosque bombing (as part of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) |
Part of | Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (since 2020) |
Allies | |
Opponents | |
Battles and wars | War in North-West Pakistan |
Designated as a terrorist group by | ![]() ![]() |
In September 2014, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Fazlullah ousted Mohmand Agency chief Omar Khalid Khorasani (former leader of Ahrar-ul-Hind). Omar Khalid Khorasani and his associates in Mohmand Agency had accused the TTP leadership of deviating from the TTP ideology, leading to the formation of splinter group TTP Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan was effectively divided into two factions. The original TTP is headed by Fazlullah, who was elected in November 2013 following the killing of ex-chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a U.S. drone strike. In February 2014, Ahrar-ul-Hind, headed by Umar Qasmi (former leader in the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi) was formed after TTP opened peace talks with the Pakistani government. It later merged into Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a second splinter group that broke away from Tehreek-i-Taliban in Pakistan on 4 September 2014, and named Omar Khalid Khorasani as its commander.[13]
The group had announced they would no longer recognize or obey Mullah Fazlullah as their Emir.[14] In March 2015, the group's spokesman announced that it swore loyalty to main TTP leadership again.
On 6 July 2017, the Security Council's 1267 Sanctions Committee approved the addition of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar in the list of entities and individuals subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Pakistan had proposed this listing. It was designated as a Global Terrorist Organization under the SDN by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, with addresses in Mohmand Tribal Agency, Bajaur Tribal Agency, Khyber Tribal Agency, Arakzai Tribal Agency, Charsadda, Peshawar, Swat, Punjab Province, Pakistan.[15]
On 9 November, at least 13 militants were killed in security forces' offensive in Akakhel which included among the dead two suicide bombers and a key commander. Ehsan confirmed that their key commander Abu Jandal was killed during the 9 November bombing in Khyber Agency's Tirah Valley.[24]
JuA was split into two groups, with a video statement on 12 November 2017 announcing that the Hizbul Ahrar group, formed in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on 11 November, will be headed by militant commander Mukarram Khan. Khan had previously served as an important commander and spokesman of JuA. The statement said that Khan left JuA because of differences with its chief over "attacks against minority Christians, killing civilians, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and other acts he deemed un-Islamic".[39] Since then, Hizbul Ahrar has claimed numerous attacks against police officers and army men, the modus operandi of the group is mainly targeted assassinations and IED blasts.[40]
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