DID Press: Sami Yousafzai, an Afghan journalist and analyst, says that despite Pakistan’s claims of killing large numbers of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters on a daily basis, the group’s manpower has not decreased — and in fact appears to be growing.
According to Yousafzai, Pakistan’s military spokesperson has claimed that 4,910 intelligence-based operations were conducted over the past 25 days — an average of 196 operations per day.
Yousafzai stressed that most of these operations are carried out inside Pakistan, where he says 90 percent of TTP’s operational fighters are based, although some of the group’s leaders may be hiding in Afghanistan.
He warned that rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad ultimately benefit terrorist groups the most, giving them more space to maneuver and recruit.