Claims by the Afghan Taliban denying the presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters on Afghan soil have been contradicted by fresh details of a high-level TTP meeting held in Kabul earlier this month, according to informed sources.
Sources said an executive council meeting of the TTP took place between January 2 and 3 in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul, one of the city’s most secure districts.
The meeting was chaired by TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud and focused on the group’s organizational structure for 2026 as well as a revised policy for carrying out terrorist activities inside Pakistan.
During the meeting, Noor Wali approved changes in the group’s leadership and internal structure.
The gathering reportedly took place at a highly secure government guest house, despite repeated Taliban claims that TTP militants are not operating from Afghan territory.
According to the sources, extraordinary security measures were enforced due to fears of infiltration and internal mistrust. Participants were subjected to strict searches, and no phones, wireless devices, or electronic items, including smartwatches, were allowed.
The screening was carried out at a separate location before the participants were transported under heavy security to the guest house used for the meeting.
The level of fear within the TTP leadership was described as unusually high, with leaders reportedly suspicious of one another.
The meeting was held at one location on the first day, after which senior figures were moved to undisclosed sites overnight. The following day’s session took place at a different guest house in Kabul.
Notably, no members of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar were invited to the meeting, and the faction has also been excluded entirely from the newly announced TTP structure.
Sources further said that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar held a separate meeting on January 2 and 3 in the Barmal area of Paktika province, attended by its senior leadership, highlighting ongoing militant activity in different parts of Afghanistan during the same period.
