The elimination of Mujahid alias Mazahim, a key commander of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), during a recent military operation in Bajaur has deepened internal divisions within the group, with several members accusing the Afghan Taliban of betrayal.
According to security sources, the suspicions emerged after a social media trend surfaced on platform X mentioning Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Afghan Taliban’s supreme leader. Some TTP fighters believe Akhundzada’s leadership, under diplomatic pressure from Pakistan, may have shared intelligence that led to Mazahim’s killing in an effort to ease tensions and gain leverage in future negotiations.
Insiders say these accusations have intensified mistrust within TTP ranks. Some militants argue that if the Afghan Taliban can turn against long-standing allies who supported them through years of hardship, they may easily abandon others when political expediency demands it.
On the night of October 29–30, Pakistani security forces thwarted a cross-border infiltration attempt in Bajaur, killing four militants of Fitna al-Khawarij, among them Mazahim, a close aide to TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud and head of the group’s Rehbari Shura.
The death of Mazahim, one of TTP’s most senior field commanders, is viewed as a major blow to the group’s operational structure. Officials say the continuing “aftershocks” of his killing could further fracture the TTP and strain its long-standing ties with its Afghan patrons.
There is a cold war–like situation on social media over Mazahim’s killing, where online warriors, supporters, and key figures linked to both militant factions are fiercely trading accusations and justifications.
