They said power struggles between rival militant commanders, both for overall control of the TTP and regional leadership, has fractured the coordinated command structure created by the charismatic militant overlord, Baitullah Mahsud, killed in a 2009 drone strike.
There are now an estimated 50-60 factions operating under the TTP banner that do not answer to its political leader, Hakimulah Mahsud, the militant sources and security experts said. “The TTP is no longer an effective organisation. It is riddled with splits and divisions. They have merely not announced a formal split, because were that to become common knowledge, the TTP would lose all credibility and power, and thus leverage,” said Mansur Khan Mahsud, director of research at the Fata Research Centre, an independent think tank based in Islamabad.
The Inter Services Public Relations, as a matter of policy, does not comment on the findings of independent research. The militant sources and security experts said infighting within the TTP has been rife since the demise of Baitullah Mahsud. Many faction leaders consider Hakimullah Mahsud, the political head of the TTP, a usurper. More
