Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan

Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan

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Updated December 1, 2023
Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan
U.S. officials have identified Pakistan as a base of
that some madrassas (religious schools) continue to teach
operations and/or target for numerous armed, nonstate
extremism. Although Pakistan’s 2014 National Action Plan
militant groups, some of which have existed since the
to counter terrorism seeks to ensure that no armed militias
1980s. Notable terrorist and other groups operating in
are allowed to function in the country, several United
and/or launching attacks on Pakistan are of five broad, but
Nations- and U.S.-designated terrorist groups continue to
not exclusive types: (1) globally oriented; (2) Afghanistan-
operate from Pakistani soil.
oriented; (3) India- and Kashmir-oriented; (4) domestically
oriented; and (5) sectarian (anti-Shia). Twelve of the 15
Figure 2. Map of Pakistan
groups listed below are designated as Foreign Terrorist
Organizations (FTOs) under U.S. law and most, but not all,
are animated by Islamist extremist ideology. Pakistan has
suffered considerably from domestic terrorism since 2003,
and related fatalities peaked in 2009. Many observers
predicted a resurgence of regional terrorism and militancy
in the wake of the Afghan Taliban’s 2021 takeover, and
data show this has occurred: After five consecutive years of
declining fatality rates down to 365 in 2019, the number of
terrorism deaths in Pakistan is up every year since,
quadrupling to at least 1,438 in 2023 (see Figure 1). In
November 2023, Pakistan’s prime minister claimed that,
since August 2021, there has been a 60% rise in militant
attacks in Pakistan and a 500% rise in suicide bombings in
which more than 2,200 Pakistanis were killed.

Figure 1. Terrorism-Related Fatalities in Pakistan and
Sources: CRS. Boundaries from U.S. Department of State and ESRI.
Rate of Change over Time, 2001-2023
In 2018, the Paris-based intergovernmental Financial
Action Task Force (FATF) returned Pakistan to its “gray
list” of countries found to have “strategic deficiencies” in
countering money laundering and terrorist financing. In late
2022, FATF assessed that Pakistan had addressed technical
deficiencies and completed all action items, and it removed
the country from the gray list. Also in 2018, the U.S.
President designated Pakistan a “Country of Particular
Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998. It has been redesignated annually four times.
Globally Oriented Militants
Al Qaeda (AQ) “core” was formed in 1988 in Afghanistan
by Osama bin Laden and designated as an FTO in 1999.
U.S.-led forces expelled AQ from Afghanistan after its
September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. AQ

Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal (New Delhi). Data through
subsequently operated primarily from the former Federally
November 2023.
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA, now incorporated into
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province; see Figure 2).
According to the U.S. State Department’s Country Reports
U.S. special forces killed Bin Laden in a May 2011 raid in
on Terrorism 2022 (released in November 2023), “In 2022,
Pakistan; he was succeeded by Ayman al-Zawahiri, himself
Pakistan took steps to counter terrorism financing and
killed by a U.S.-launched airstrike on Afghanistan in July
restrain some India-focused terrorist groups.” However, it
2022. A successor has yet to be named. AQ core has been
“has yet to complete its pledge to dismantle all terrorist
seriously degraded, but maintains ties to numerous other
organizations without delay or discrimination.” The report
Pakistan-based FTOs.
notes Pakistan’s successful May 2022 prosecution and
sentencing of a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba leader (see below),
Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) was
as well as counterterrorism operations conducted by
established in 2014 under the leadership of Asim Umar—a
military, paramilitary, and civilian security forces. It reports
Indian national subsequently killed in a joint U.S.-Afghan
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Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan
military operation. It was designated as an FTO in 2016.
fighters to the Afghan Taliban, and it was designated as an
With an estimated 200-400 members, AQIS has been
FTO in 2010. With an unknown strength, HUJI operates in
implicated in terrorist attacks in Pakistan (and Bangladesh),
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, and seeks
including a 2014 attempt to hijack a Pakistan Navy frigate.
annexation of Indian-administered Kashmir into Pakistan.
Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP or IS-K) is a
Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM) was designated as an FTO
regional affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
in 1997 and operates mainly from Azad Kashmir and from
(ISIS, ISIL, or the Arabic acronym Da’esh) that made
some Pakistani cities. It was responsible for the 1999
inroads in Afghanistan in 2015 and was designated as an
hijacking of an Indian airliner that led to the release from an
FTO in 2016. Its estimated 3,000-5,000 fighters are mostly
Indian prison of JEM’s future founder; most HUM cadres
former members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the
subsequently defected to that group.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who are based in
Afghanistan but also operate in Pakistan, along with
Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) was formed in 1989—
disaffected Afghan Taliban fighters.
reportedly as the militant wing of Pakistan’s largest Islamist
political party—and designated as an FTO in 2017. It is one
Afghanistan-Oriented Militants
of the largest and oldest militant groups operating in Indian-
The Afghan Taliban emerged in southeastern Afghanistan
administered Kashmir. HM’s cadre of unknown size is
in the early 1990s, ruled most of that country from 1996-
composed primarily of ethnic Kashmiris who seek
2001, and were named as Specially Designated Global
independence for Kashmir or annexation of Indian-
Terrorists in 2002. Long led by Mullah Omar (who died in
administered Kashmir into Pakistan. Although Kashmir-
2013) and now led by Haibatullah Akhundzada, during the
based, HM reportedly has key funding sources in Pakistan.
period 2001 to 2021 its leadership was believed to operate
mainly from the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta, as
Domestically Oriented Militants
well as in Karachi and Peshawar. It gained strength as U.S.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was formed in 2007 and
force levels in Afghanistan decreased significantly after
designated as an FTO in 2010. It is widely regarded as the
2014, and retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
deadliest terrorist group operating in Pakistan and has
undertaken numerous mass-casualty attacks on Pakistani
The Haqqani Network (HQN) was founded in the late
security forces and their families. TTP is composed largely
1980s by Jalaluddin Haqqani and designated as an FTO in
of ethnic Pashtun militants who unified under the leadership
2012. Jalaluddin retreated to Pakistan after 2001 and his son
of now-deceased Baitullah Mehsud, then based in the
Sirajuddin later became the group’s leader. Sirajuddin
former FATA, with representatives from each of Pakistan’s
Haqqani also became a deputy chief of the Afghan Taliban
seven former tribal agencies. TTP leadership reportedly fled
in 2015 and Afghanistan’s acting interior minister in 2021.
into the border areas of eastern Afghanistan in response to
HQN reportedly has several hundred core members and an
Pakistani military operations in 2014. Resurgent since
estimated 3,000-5,000 armed militants with varying degrees
2021, led by Noor Wali Mehsud, and with ties to Al Qaeda,
of affiliation, many of whom reportedly operate near the
the TTP’s estimated 3,000-6,000 cadre seek to defeat
Pakistan-Afghanistan border and have undertaken
Pakistan’s government and establish Sharia law in Khyber
numerous kidnappings and attacks in Afghanistan. Some
Pakhtunkhwa. In late 2023, Pakistan government officials
U.S. officials have linked HQN to Pakistan’s main
accused the Afghan Taliban of directly controlling the TTP.
intelligence service, a charge Pakistan denies.
Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which the State
India- and Kashmir-Oriented Militants
Department named as Specially Designated Global
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) was formed in the late 1980s in
Terrorists in 2019, is an ethnic-based separatist group of up
Pakistan and designated as an FTO in 2001. Led by now-
to 1,000 armed militants. The group has targeted People’s
incarcerated Hafiz Saeed and based in Pakistan’s Punjab
Republic of China (PRC) nationals and PRC-funded
province and in Pakistan-administered (Azad) Kashmir, it
investment projects in Balochistan.
has changed its name to Jamaat-ud-Dawa and launched
humanitarian projects to circumvent sanctions. LET was
Jaysh al-Adl (aka Jundallah), designated as an FTO in
responsible for the November 2008 terrorist assault on
2010, is an ethnic Baloch separatist group operating in and
Mumbai, India, as well as several other high-profile attacks.
from Pakistan’s Balochistan province, oriented primarily
toward Iran and its ethnic Baloch regions.
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) was founded in 2000 by
Kashmiri militant leader Masood Azhar and designated as
Sectarian (Anti-Shia) Militants
an FTO in 2001. Along with LET, it was responsible for a
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP, aka Ahle Sunnat Wal
2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, among numerous
Jamaat) is an anti-Shia group established in Punjab in the
others. Based in both Punjab and in Azad Kashmir, JEM’s
mid-1980s. Its 3,000-6,000 members operate mainly in the
several hundred armed supporters operate in India,
former FATA, Punjab, and Karachi.
Afghanistan, and Pakistan while seeking annexation of
Indian-administered Kashmir into Pakistan. JEM has
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ) is an SSP offshoot designated as
openly declared war on the United States.
an FTO in 2013. With membership in the low hundreds,
LEJ operates mainly in the former FATA, Punjab,
Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) was formed in 1980 in
Balochistan, and Karachi, as well as in Afghanistan. It
Afghanistan to fight the Soviet army. After 1989, HUJI
reportedly has close ties with both Al Qaeda and the TTP.
redirected its efforts toward India, although it did supply
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Terrorist and Other Militant Groups in Pakistan

IF11934
K. Alan Kronstadt, Specialist in South Asian Affairs

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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11934 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED