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Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group

Hafiz Gul Bahadur group (Urdu: حافظ گل بہادر گروپ) or HGB is a faction of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) based in North Waziristan and surrounding districts of the former FATA region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The group is led by tribal leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who is affiliated with the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. Though the group had previously directed most of its attacks against the Afghan government and NATO forces during the war in Afghanistan, it has since targeted the Pakistani government after the fall of Kabul in 2021. Militants affiliated with HGB have been linked to several high-profile attacks on Pakistani security forces in the ongoing insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group
حافظ گل بہادر گروپ
LeadersHafiz Gul Bahadur
Dates of operation2007 - present
Allegiance Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Motives
HeadquartersAfghanistan (since 2021)
Active regionsPakistan
Afghanistan
IdeologyIslamic fundamentalism
Takfirism
Notable attacksBannu Cantonment attack
Size1000-1500
Allies
Opponents
Battles and warsWar in Afghanistan
War in North-West Pakistan
Global War on Terrorism
Designated as a terrorist group by United Nations[1]  Pakistan[2]

HGB traces its roots from the tribal followers of Hafiz Gul Bahadur. Bahadur organized resistance against a Pakistani operation in the northwest in 2005, later signing a peace deal with the government in 2006 and becoming the leader of the local Taliban in North Waziristan. Bahadur was named first deputy of the Pakistani Taliban upon its formation in December 2007, but infighting plagued the group due to Bahadur's insistence on attacking targets in Afghanistan and not the Pakistani government. HGB's acceptance of the Pakistani government had led them to be dubbed the 'good Taliban' by media and government sources. HGB's peace agreement with the Pakistan ended in 2014 with the launch of an offensive against all militants in the area, including HGB. After a Taliban offensive in 2021 defeated the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, HGB has shifted its activities against Pakistan and has collaborated further with the TTP. The group has been suspected of using Afghanistan as a launching ground for its operations against Pakistan.

History

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Hafiz Gul Bahadur (born c.1961) hails from the Madda Khel clan of the Utmanzai Wazir and was raised in a village in North Waziristan. He is the direct descendant of anti-colonial freedom fighter Mirzali Khan, also known as the Faqir of Ipi. Bahadur attended a Deobandi madrassa in Multan, Punjab and participated in the Soviet–Afghan War and Afghan civil war, the latter which he likely fought on the side of the Afghan Taliban through developing ties with the Haqqani Network.[3][4] He was also a leader of the student wing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) in North Waziristan, receiving attention in 2001 for recruiting a militia of 4,000 in opposition to United Nations monitors who were set to deploy along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in order to prevent flow of weapons to the Afghan Taliban. The deployment didn't occur due to the September 11 attacks.[5] After the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, many militants including that of the Afghan Taliban, al-Qaeda and other Central Asian groups from Afghanistan fled to northwest Pakistan, where Bahadur was one of many tribal leaders who gave them refuge.[4]

As a leader of the Utmanzai Wazir, Bahadur maintained a loyal following of men reportedly numbering in the thousands. Utilizing his position, Bahadur served as chief negotiator in multiple peace talks and ceasefires between tribal militants and the Pakistani government. He rose to prominence in 2005 for leading armed opposition against the Pakistani military which had begun operations in 2004 to evict foreign fighters, mainly al-Qaeda, from Waziristan. Bahadur's hostility to the Pakistani government seemingly changed in September 2006 after signing a peace treaty with the government agreeing to expel foreign fighters, the deal being heavily influenced by the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani Network. After signing the treaty, Bahadur became the leader of the local Taliban in North Waziristan, where he effectively governed the region with the acceptance of Pakistan while maintaining ties with the Afghan Taliban and participating in the neighbouring war.[4] Bahadur eventually resumed hostilities with the Pakistani state in July 2007. Amid peace talks, the Pakistani Taliban was officially formed in December 2007 with Bahadur being named as first deputy leader under Baitullah Mehsud, who led armed opposition against Pakistan. Bahadur distanced himself from the TTP as Mullah Omar opposed its foundation, instead calling for focus upon coalition and security forces in Afghanistan. Bahadur signed a peace agreement with the government on 18 February 2008. On 22 February 2009, Bahadur reconciled with Mehsud and other TTP leader Maulvi Nazir, forming an alliance to direct attacks on NATO forces in Afghanistan, while Bahadur and Nazir still remained pro-Pakistani government.[6] Due to their lingering allegiance to Pakistan, the alliance broke down shortly after its formation, with HGB's relations remaining strained with the TTP.[3][5]

HGB began taking more significant action against Pakistan from June 2009 as the government began to crack down on the TTP and Baitullah Mehsud.[7] Bahadur opposed US drone strikes within Pakistan, threatening to pull out of their agreement with the government after the Datta Khel airstrike on 17 March 2011 which killed HGB commander Sherabat Khan Wazir.[8] HGB's peace treaty with Pakistan eventually came to an end in May 2014 after they accused the government of violating their treaty with the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. The group announced the shifting of all operations out of Afghanistan and into Pakistan and forced members to sever ties with the Pakistani government by 10 June.[9] Significantly weakened by the operation, HGB and many other TTP elements fled to Afghanistan.[4]

With the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, HGB's main target, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, had been defeated. With the installment of a Taliban government, both HGB and the TTP's goals have reportedly shifted, with HGB claiming multiple attacks upon Pakistani security forces in the ensuing years, including through collaborative operations with the TTP.[4] The Pakistani government has accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing HGB and commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur to reside in Afghanistan and use their land as a staging ground for attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[10]

Activity

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2023

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On 3 June, HGB and the TTP launched a joint attack on a security checkpoint in Jani Khel, Bannu, killing two soldiers and losing two members in a gunfight.[11]

On 26 November, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a security convoy in Bannu, killing two civilians and injuring three soldiers. The attacker was an Afghan citizen affiliated with HGB.[12]

2024

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On 16 March, HGB militants attacked a military post in North Waziristan, ramming a suicide car bomb into the post before starting a firefight. The attacked killed 7 soldiers and 6 HGB fighters.[13]

On 15 July, HBG carried out an attack on an army cantonment in Bannu which killed 8 soldiers and wounded 141 people. The attackers utilized a suicide bomber to breach the cantonment walls before gunmen stormed the base.[14]

On 9 August, HGB launched three attacks on different military posts in Tirah Valley along the Afghan border, killing three Pakistani soldiers and wounding dozens while suffering four casualties.[15][16]

Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad

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Jaish-e-Fursan-e-Muhammad (JFM) is a subgroup of HGB that was seemingly formed in 2024 for the purpose of fighting Pakistani security forces. JFM is believed to be a front for HGB, in line with the TTP's usage of front groups such as Tehreek-e-Jihad, in order to claim plausible deniability for attacks in Pakistan. The group has claimed multiple attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the Bannu Cantonment attack.[17]

Designation as a terrorist group

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The group was designated a terrorist organization by Pakistan on 31 July 2024.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing | United Nations Security Council".
  2. ^ "Pakistan Adds 2 More Militant Groups To Its 'Terror' List". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  3. ^ a b Sulaiman, Sadia (2009-04-10). "Hafiz Gul Bahadur: A Profile of the Leader of the North Waziristan Taliban" (PDF). Terrorism Monitor. 7 (9). Washington, DC: The Jamestown Foundation: 4–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ur Rehman, Zia (2024-03-21). "Good Taliban, bad Taliban: The case of Hafiz Gul Bahadur". Dawn. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  5. ^ a b Szrom, Charlie (2009-08-06). "The Survivalist of North Waziristan: Hafiz Gul Bahadur Biography and Analysis". Critical Threats. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  6. ^ Shah, Saeed (2009-03-03). "Taliban rivals unite to fight US troop surge". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  7. ^ Kumar, Bhaswar (2024-03-20). "From friend to foe: How Hafiz Gul Bahadur brought Pak, Afghanistan to blows". Business Standard. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  8. ^ Khan, Zia (2011-03-21). "Waziristan drone attack: Taliban faction threatens scrapping peace deal". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  9. ^ Sherazi, Zahir Shah (2014-05-30). "N. Waziristan Taliban revoke peace accord; tell locals to leave". Dawn. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  10. ^ "Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group Uses Afghanistan Soil Against Pakistan, Says Islamabad". Afghanistan International. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  11. ^ "Pakistani Taliban Claim Attack in Northwest Left 2 Soldiers, 2 Militants Dead". Voice of America. 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  12. ^ "Bannu blast toll rises to two, ISPR says attacker identified". Dawn. 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  13. ^ "Pakistan: 7 soldiers killed in attack on military post". DW. 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  14. ^ "At least 8 Pakistani soldiers killed in military base suicide attack". Al Jazeera. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  15. ^ AP (2024-08-09). "Attack On Pakistani Army Posts Leaves 3 Soldiers, 4 Insurgents Dead". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  16. ^ Gul, Ayaz (2024-08-09). "Militants stage deadly raid on Pakistani army posts near Afghan border". Voice of America. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  17. ^ Khattak, Daud (2024-07-25). "New Extremist Groups -- At Least In Name -- Enter Pakistan's Militant Scene". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  18. ^ "Pakistan Adds 2 More Militant Groups To Its 'Terror' List". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2024-08-01. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
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