Jamaat-ul-Ahrar

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar ("Assembly of the Free," abbreviated as JuA[2]) was a terrorist organization that split away from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in August 2014.[3] The group came to prominence after it claimed responsibility for the 2014 Wagah border suicide attack. In October 2017, there were unconfirmed reports that Omar Khalid, the leader of the JuA, had died from injuries sustained in a US drone strike in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. In August 2020, it merged back to TTP.

Jamat-ul-Ahrar
LeadersUnknown
Dates of operationAugust 2014–August 2020[1]
HeadquartersNangarhar Province, Afghanistan
Active regionsPakistan
Afghanistan
AlliesIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province
Opponents Pakistan
United States
Battles and warsWar in North-West Pakistan

History

Roots and development

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.[4]

Relations with TTP

The group had announced they would no longer recognize or obey Mullah Fazlullah as their Emir.[5] In March 2015, the group's spokesman announced that it swore loyalty to main TTP leadership again.

Designation as Terrorist organization by United Nations

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.

Organizational structure

Leaders
  • Omar Khalid Khorasani (aka Abdul Wali)- previously led a faction called Ahrar-ul-Hind. He is also one of the founding members of the TTP and is a former journalist from Mohmand agency.[5] It was reported that a JuA spokesman Asad Mansoor had told AFP news agency that Khorasani on 18 October 2017 had succumbed to his injuries received in a United States drone strike in Paktia Province of Afghanistan.[6] Pajhwok Afghan News however stated that a source close to the group had denied his death.[7] Long War Journal reported that a statement on Telegram issued under Khorasani's name denied his death, while confirming the death of Khalifa Umar Mansour. The outlet noted that the spokesman operating the group’s Telegram account did not announce his death.[8] His death also was not confirmed by United States.[7][8] Reports of Khorasani's death were proven false when the United States added Khorasani to the U.S State Department's Rewards for Justice wanted list on March 7, 2018.[9] On 11 December 2020 Ziaulhaq Amarkhil the Governor of Nangarhar Province announced on his Twitter account that Omar Khalid was killed in by National Directorate of Security in the Chaparhar District.[10]

Spokesmen
  • Asad Mansoor

Former

  • Ehsanullah Ehsan, he surrendered himself to Pakistan's Security Forces in April 2017 [11] and escaped from his detention in February 2020.[12]

Operation Khyber-1
Main article: Operation Khyber-1

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.[13]

Claimed and alleged attacks
See also: 2014 Wagah border suicide attack
  • 2 November 2014, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility for the Wagah border attack in a telephone call to Dawn from Afghanistan. "Some other groups have claimed responsibility of this attack, but these claims are baseless. We will soon release the video of this attack," he said. "This attack is revenge for the killing of innocent people in North Waziristan."[14]
  • 7 November 2014, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for twin bombings that killed at least six people in Mohmand Agency. The bombs targeted peace committee volunteers in Chinari village of Safi Tehsil. Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility and vowed to continue attacking tribal peace committees.[15]
  • 21 November 2014, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for a grenade attack on the membership camp of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Orangi Town area of Karachi. Three members of the Sindh Assembly and 50 workers were injured.[16][17]
  • 15 March 2015, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for twin bombings at a Roman Catholic church and Christ Church during Sunday service at Youhanabad town of Lahore. At least 15 people were killed and seventy were wounded in the attacks.[18]
  • 7 March 2016, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that left 11 dead and 15 wounded after a man blew himself up outside a district court in the town of Shabqadar in the Charsadda District.[19]
  • 27 March 2016, a spokesman for Taliban splinter group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar says: 'We proudly take responsibility for the suicide attack in a park in Lahore. Members of the Christian community who were celebrating Easter today were our prime target' but that 'we didn't want to kill women and children. Our target were male members of the Christian community'.[20] The nail-filled device near a children’s playground[21] killed over 70 people, reportedly mostly Muslim.[22] It was described as an attempt by the group "to establish itself as the most aggressive and violent" Islamist group in Pakistan.[21]
  • On 16 September 2016, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the responsibility of suicide attack in a local mosque of Tehsil Amabar in Mohmand Agency, the attack killed at least 28 people and left 31 injured. In an emailed statement, TTP Jamaat-ul-Ahrar spokesperson, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said a suicide bomber targeted the peace committee.[23]
  • On 13 February 2017, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed their involvement in a suicide attack targeting senior police officials at a protest on Lahore's Mall Road. The attack left 13 people dead and injured 31 others. The dead include 6 police officials, including DIG City Traffic Police Lahore Ahmad Mobin Zaidi and Acting DIG (Operations) Zahid Gondal. The terrorist outfit sent a text message to claim their responsibility and later released a video message to warn off future attacks.[24][25][26]
  • On 31 March 2017, Jamaat-ul-Ahraar claimed responsibility of an attack in Parachinar that killed 24 and injured 68 people.[27]

Split

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".[28] 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.[29]

See also

References
  1. "Pakistani splinter group rejoins Taliban amid fears of isolation". Reuters. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  2. "U.S. drone strike kills militant whose group killed 250 in Pakistan". Reuters. 19 October 2017.
  3. "Pakistan Taliban faction announce split, new leader". Agence France-Presse. 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  4. "Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar forms in northwestern Pakistan". Pakistannewsviews.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  5. "TTP Chief Mullah Fazlullah ousts Commander Umar Khorasani". Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  6. "Pakistan militant leader 'killed by drone' in Afghanistan". BBC.
  7. "Jamaatul Ahrar denies Khurasani's death in drone strike". Pajhwok Afghan News.
  8. "Leader of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar emerges after reports of his death". Long War Journal.
  9. https://rewardsforjustice.net/english/abdul_wali.html
  10. "Ziaulhaq Amarkhi page". twitter.com. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  11. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/pakistani-taliban-leader-ehsanullah-ehsan-surrenders-170417131146226.html
  12. "Ex-TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan escaped during anti-terror operation: sources". The Express Tribune. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  13. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Jamaatul Ahrar confirms death of commander in Khyber airstrikes". Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  14. "TTP splinter groups claim Wagah attack; 60 dead". Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  15. Zahir Shah Sherazi. "Twin blasts kill at least six people in Mohmand". Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  16. three members of the Sindh Assembly and 50 workers were injured in the grenade attack
  17. "Jamaatul Ahrar claims responsibility for attack on MQM camp - PAKISTAN - geo.tv". 21 November 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  18. "Deadly blasts hit Pakistan churches in Lahore". BBC. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  19. "A police official says a suicide bomber has attacked the entrance to a court in a northwestern Pakistan, killing 11 people". US News & World Report. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  20. "69 killed as suicide blast rocks Lahore". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  21. Burke, Jason (28 March 2016). "Lahore bombing is faction's boldest bid to stake claim as Pakistan's most violent terrorists". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  22. "Lahore bombing: Pakistan mourns as death toll rises". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  23. "At least 28 killed in suicide blast at Mohmand Agency".
  24. Dogar, Arshad. "13 martyred in Lahore suicide attack". The News International. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  25. "Motorcycle suicide bomber hits protest group in Lahore, Pakistan". CBS News. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  26. "Jamaat-ul-Ahrar gives details of its targets in a video". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  27. "22 killed in explosion outside imambargah in Parachinar market". Dawn. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  28. "22 Pakistani Taliban splinter group splits further over tactics". Associated Press. ABC News. 12 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  29. "Recent Hizbul Ahrar militant activity highlights expanding nationwide sphere of operations – Pakistan Alert". www.max-security.com. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
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