hyber Pakhtunkhwa is once again seeing a surge in militancy. The uptick in violence is linked to the implementation of a newly designed dalgi or dalgai system following the appointment of Noor Wali Mehsud, also known as Abu Mansoor Asim, as the new emir of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Dalgi is a group of people working together to achieve the same objectives. These anti-state dalgis operate under the umbrella of the banned TTP. According to a member of the TTP central shura, who spoke on condition of anonymity, a dalgi comprises 25 to 100 trained fighters led by a local TTP commander or emir. The number of dalgis in a particular locality can vary depending on the militants’ strength in the region.

According to a senior TTP commander the number of dalgi fighters in Pakistan is estimated to be over 10,000. It is reported that around 400 dalgis are currently operating in Pakistan, most of them in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These fighters have the same ideology and mindset. In some cases they also have close tribal ties.

The dalgi system was an innovation by the Afghan Taliban, who used it effectively against the Western forces and the Afghan National Army before the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some militants in the TTP claim that concept was proposed by the deceased Omar Khalid Khorasani, once commander-in-chief of Jamaat-ul Ahrar, a split-away faction from the TTP. His agreement to rejoin the TTP was contingent on the implementation of the dalgi plan. However, practical implementation of the system only began after Omar Khalid Khorasani was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Paktika province of Afghanistan in August 2022.

Many of the dalgi fighters today are well-trained and equipped with modern weapons, including laser sights, thermal scopes, sniper rifles, machine guns and night-vision devices. KP Police Inspector General Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur told Geo News in December 2023 that the militants had acquired modern weapons from neighbouring countries. He also said that police and other security agencies too were now using advanced weaponry to combat them.

Several videos posted by militants on social media have shown them carrying advanced weapons.

On September 3, the Ministry of Interior reported that 930 people were killed in terrorist attacks across Pakistan in 2023. The report, shared during a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, highlighted that 1,992 civilians and law enforcement personnel were injured. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced the most violence, with 580 people killed and 1,447 injured in 558 incidents.

Four major militant groups currently operating in Pakistan are Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, Lashkar-i-Islam the Islamic State-Khorasan Province. The dalgi system is unique to the TTP. The TTP’s strongholds are mostly located in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan and Bannu. Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group has been active in North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat. Lashkar-i-Islam is active in the Khyber district. The ISKP has been operating in Bajaur. It has also carried out some attacks in North Waziristan and occasionally Peshawar.

Currently the TTP and Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group are the most active. They have carried out frequent large-scale attacks on police, other security forces and government officials. On September 3, the Ministry of Interior reported that 930 people were killed in terrorist incidents across Pakistan in 2023. The report, shared during a National Assembly session chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, highlighted that 1,992 civilians and law enforcement personnel were injured. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered the most violence, with 580 killed and 1,447 injured in 558 incidents of terrorism. Of the casualties, 402 were law enforcement personnel and 178 civilians.

Data from the Counter Terrorism Department until July 15, 2024, indicates that 220 individuals have been killed in the KP, including 76 police, 65 civilians, 39 security forces officials, 29 Frontier Constabulary personnel, 7 other law enforcement officers and 4 politicians.

According to law enforcement agencies in KP, 482 intelligence-based operations have been conducted in 14 districts against the TTP and Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group. These have resulted in the death of 413 militants this year. The CTD data shows that 548 cases were registered by July 2024.

The poor security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has prompted several protests demonstrations.

Re-organisation of militant groups and the adoption of strategies like the dalgi system have added to the militant violenec. Viral videos on social media have shown militants establishing checkpoints on several roads in Tank, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, South Waziristan and Bannu. These videos show militants searching passenger vehicles and employment cards. This is causing some government employees to avoid carrying their identification pepers when travelling in the area.

The writer is a known journalist covering militancy and crime for around two decades in northwest Pakistan. He tweets at @RasoolDawar