RASC News Agency: ISIS-Khorasan has characterized both the Afghanistani Taliban and the Pakistani Taliban as “calves of the same cow.” In a recent statement, ISIS-Khorasan declared that the Afghanistani Taliban and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are akin to “calves of the same cow.” Recently, ISIS-Khorasan and the Pakistani Taliban have been at odds over operational methods and strategic differences. ISIS-Khorasan was formed in 2014 by disillusioned commanders from both the Pakistani and Afghanistani Taliban.
In the past, Hafiz Saeed Khan and Mullah Abdul Rauf, former Taliban commanders and key founders of ISIS-Khorasan, were killed in U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016, respectively. These commanders were instrumental in establishing ISIS-Khorasan after breaking away from the Taliban. Meanwhile, “The Diplomat” magazine, discussing the widening rift between Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and ISIS-Khorasan—two major jihadist groups active in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan and Afghanistan—stated, “The jihadist landscape is inherently unstable. The priorities, objectives, ideologies, and resources of jihadist organizations evolve over time.”
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, which was established in 2007 through the merger of several militant groups in Pakistan’s Waziristan region, is significantly more powerful than ISIS-Khorasan. The group has approximately 60,000 armed members and has, over the past three years, posed a serious challenge to the security of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, even capturing territory. The TTP’s membership largely consists of Pashtuns from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who are discontented with the central Pakistani government’s treatment of the Pashtun community and aspire to establish a regime in Pakistan akin to the Afghanistani Taliban’s emirate.
ISIS-Khorasan views the Afghanistani Taliban as “apostates” for their alliance with infidels (the United States), which justifies their conflict with the Taliban. Conversely, the Taliban considers ISIS “Khawarij” (deviants) and deems it essential to wage war against them. These jihadist factions have fundamentally flawed interpretations of religion.
