Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

Force in Play

As of October 2026: Pakistan struck TTP-linked camps in Kunar and Paktika on September 21 and 10 drone-related sites on September 24; air raids continued into October on Kunar and Helmand

Pakistan and Afghanistan traded fire in the first days of October, and each government said it killed dozens of the other's troops. Islamabad calls the fight an "open war" and says airstrikes will continue until the Taliban reins in the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the militant group Pakistan blames for cross-border attacks.

Updated Oct 4

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Third deadliest terrorist group globally in 2025

At the peak in 2014, terrorism killed roughly 33,000 people worldwide — driven largely by the Islamic State's rapid territorial conquest across Iraq and Syria. Twelve years later, the Global Terrorism Index for 2026 reports that annual deaths have dropped 83%, to 5,582, the lowest figure since 2007. Terrorist incidents fell 22% to 2,944, and 81 countries recorded improvements.

Updated May 30

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Primary suspect in Islamabad mosque bombing; operating from Afghan sanctuaries

Pakistan had not seen a suicide bombing in its capital since 2016. That changed in November 2025, when an attacker killed 12 outside an Islamabad court. On February 6, 2026, a suicide bomber killed 31 at the Shia Khadija Tul Kubra mosque during Friday prayers, wounding 169 more — the deadliest since the 2008 Marriott Hotel bombing that killed 63.

Updated May 27