In yet another sign of their crumbling structure and fading foreign support, terrorists of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), officially declared Fitna al-Khawarij by the state, have turned to extorting the very people they claim to protect. But this time, the public did not bow.
Sources report that in Darra Hassanzai, a village in the jurisdiction of Mishti Mela Police Station, Central Orakzai, militants led by local Khawarij commanders Syed Nawaz and Qari Wajid distributed threatening leaflets demanding Usher (a form of religious tax) from already impoverished villagers, warning of “serious consequences” in case of non-compliance.
But the reaction was not what the terrorists expected.
One resident, Mir Shah, tore up the demand notice in public and declared that he would not pay a single rupee to terrorists. His act of defiance, in a region long subjected to fear, inspired others.
When the militants responded by surrounding Mir Shah’s home, the villagers didn’t retreat, they armed themselves and opened fire. A fierce gun battle ensued, with reports suggesting that 25–30 TTP militants, equipped with small and heavy weapons, attempted to overpower the resistance but were forced to retreat under intense public fire.
Locals, now emboldened, blocked the militants’ escape routes as they tried to flee towards Khyber District, preventing them from finding shelter.
According to the latest updates, security forces and Frontier Corps units have been dispatched to reinforce the locals and launch a search and cordon operation to neutralise the remaining militants.
This incident comes at a time when TTP’s traditional lifelines, particularly financial and logistical support from Indian and Israeli handlers, have been severely disrupted. Deprived of external funding, the Khawarij are now turning to internal exploitation: stealing livestock, issuing extortion letters, and demanding money from the oppressed, those whose grievances they once falsely championed.
But as the saying goes, “to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” The rise of resistance figures like Mir Shah signals a turning tide; one where common citizens, tired of terror, are no longer willing to be pawns in the Khawarij’s collapsing narrative.
As security operations continue, officials believe that this resistance will mark a turning point in the tribal belt; where not just bullets, but bravery and unity, will drive terrorism out of hiding, and out of existence.
