RASC News Agency: Local sources in Nangarhar have revealed that the families of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members are being systematically relocated from several districts of Nangarhar province, including Shinwar, Ghani Khel, Kot, Bati Kot, Momand Dara, and Gushta, to Kabul and northern regions of Afghanistan. At least two local civilians and two Taliban insiders have confirmed that the relocations are being conducted under the coordination of the Taliban’s intelligence agency. The sources report that these families are being transferred at night using specialized vehicles. This operation reportedly commenced following the targeted killings of several TTP commanders and members in Kunar province in recent weeks.
Last Tuesday, Umar Bajaur, a prominent TTP commander, was killed alongside two other members in Shigal district, Kunar, during an attack by “unknown assailants” while they were guests of an Afghanistani Taliban member. Following Bajaur’s assassination, the relocation of TTP families appears to have intensified. The exact number of TTP family members residing in these six districts of Nangarhar remains unclear, as does the number of those who have been relocated so far. Officials from the Taliban’s local administration in Nangarhar have yet to issue a statement regarding these developments.
Furthermore, recent reports on social media allege that the Taliban, in coordination with Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, have transferred some TTP families from Afghanistan’s border regions to Ghazni province. Last Thursday, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, declined to provide a definitive response when asked about these developments. Pakistan has consistently accused the TTP of using sanctuaries in Afghanistan to plan and execute cross-border attacks against its territory.
This relocation effort highlights the complex dynamics of Afghanistan-Pakistani relations, with allegations of covert collaboration between the Taliban and TTP raising further questions about regional stability and security.