Islamic State Finds New Ally in Pakistan's TTP

On October 3, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced its support for the Islamic State (formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS) to mark the Islamic holy day of Eid al-Adha. The statement, which was issued in Arabic, Urdu and English, said "All Muslims in the world have great expectations of you... We are with you, we will provide you with mujahideen and with every possible support" (al-Arabiya, October 4). Four days later, the leader of the Pakistan-based Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) - which is an Uzbek-led militant group comprised of Central Asians that originated in the Ferghana Valley - Usman Ghazi, also issued a statement praising Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's decision to declare a caliphate. Ghazi said, "In these difficult times, we rejoice in the creation of Islamic State of Iraq and the al-Sham [Syria]. And I use this opportunity to congratulate all Muslims with the restoration of the long-awaited Islamic state" (UZNews.net, October 8). These two statements indicate that the Islamic State is gaining international traction from jihadist groups like the TTP and IMU, which used to be loyal to al-Qaeda; the Islamic State itself broke away from al-Qaeda in early 2014.

Previous to this, the IMU and other Urdu-speaking jihadists complained in their statements about Central Asian and South Asian fighters "abandoning" the fight in their home regions for the more appealing opportunity to fight in Syria, which many Salafists believe is a war theater of the highest religious significance. One reason why the IMU may now be supporting the Islamic State, however, is to not lose complete control over Uzbek and other Central Asian militants fighting in Syria and Iraq, such as ones in the increasingly well-publicized Uzbek-led Imam Buhary Brigades. [1] The IMU may hope that these militants will return to Central Asia with new skills in bomb-making and guerilla warfare as well as connections to the Islamic State and that these militants will contribute once again to the IMU's mission to target Central Asia after the United States withdraws from Afghanistan. The IMU may also simply be following the Pakistani Taliban's lead since the IMU has long depended on the Pakistan Taliban for safe haven to train its recruits. For example, the IMU mufti (chief Islamist jurist), Abu Zar al-Burmi, has explicitly thanked Pakistani Waziris, who live in the area where the TTP has its most important bases, for their hospitality. [2]

One of the more immediate results of these new affiliations with the Islamic State may be that the Pakistani Taliban and the IMU declare their own caliphate in parts of the tribal regions where these groups control more territory than the Pakistani government. This would follow the template of the Islamic State and other jihadist groups like Boko Haram, which announced its support for the Islamic State and subsequently sought to control territory before declaring its own caliphate.

1. "Tarassud," Albuxoriy Katiyba Youtube page, September 25, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbetVX1rMXc. 2. "IMU Scholar Urges Pakistanis to Continue to Harbor Foreign Fighters," Site Intel Group, November 22, 2011, http://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/imu-scholar-urges-pakistanis-to-continue-to-harbor-foreign-fighters.html.

Link to original story on Jamestown website