Fresh visual evidence emerging from multiple Afghan provinces has reignited concerns over the continued presence and visibility of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) elements inside Afghanistan, lending new weight to Islamabad’s long-standing allegations that the banned outfit is operating from across the border.
Sources in Parwan Province, adjacent to Kabul, have provided a photograph showing the abbreviated name of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) inscribed on the magazine of a Kalashnikov rifle carried by an armed individual. The image, obtained from local sources, clearly shows the letters marked on the ammunition magazine, raising serious questions about the identity, affiliations, and freedom of movement of such armed actors in the area.
This development follows earlier visual material from Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan, where sources shared a video showing the letters “TTP” written on the rear of a vehicle. The footage suggested an open display of the group’s identity, pointing to a level of confidence and visibility that contrasts sharply with claims that the organisation has been curtailed or dismantled.
The appearance of such markings in geographically distant provinces — Parwan in the east-central region and Balkh in the north — has added a new dimension to the debate surrounding the spatial spread and operational presence of TTP-linked elements within Afghanistan. Security observers note that while the imagery alone does not confirm specific militant activities, it symbolically underscores the group’s continued existence and apparent comfort in publicly displaying its name.
These developments come amid repeated complaints by the Pakistani government regarding the presence of TTP fighters on Afghan soil.
