2 hours ago
Last Updated:October 30, 2025, 08:00 IST
Ahmad Kazim acts as a "shadow" governor of Kurram and is considered a deadly force, with a bounty of 10 crore PNR on his head for allegedly killing at least 100 Pakistani soldiers
TTP's Kurram district commander, Ahmad Kazim, in one of his purported propaganda videos. (Image: News18)
A “deadly" force, TTP commander Ahmad Kazim is known to execute highly coordinated attacks on Pakistani military in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
According to official sources, Ahmad Kazim was most likely behind the attack on security forces in Kurram district on Wednesday (October 29), in which a captain-ranked army officer and six other soldiers were killed and 17 were left injured.
WHO IS AHMAD KAZIM?
Kazim, who is the Kurram district commander, is known as the “TTP Field Marshal", sources told News18.
The sources said Kazim acts as a “shadow" governor of Kurram and is considered a singularly deadly force, with a bounty of 10 crore PNR on his head for allegedly killing at least 100 Pakistani soldiers.
WHY IS KAZIM DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TTP COMMANDERS?
The sources said Kazim distinguishes himself from most TTP commanders, who are limited to tactical ambushes, by combining operational speed with psychological warfare.
They said Kazim is known to execute layered strikes involving IEDs and gunfire follow-ups, captured in “pursuit videos" designed to cause both physical destruction and “morale collapse". His use of professionally edited propaganda videos to taunt the military leadership represents a new phase of information warfare, they added.
He has notably challenged Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in one of these videos, saying: “Face us if you’re a man, fight us if you’ve had your mother’s milk."
HOW DOES HE OPERATE?
The sources said Kazim leverages the porous Afghan border and Kurram’s Shia-Sunni divide for “strategic sanctuary and communal camouflage".
He has managed to transform local sectarian grievances into the TTP’s broader jihad narrative and is classified as a Category-A High Value Target, the sources said.
They said past and recent intelligence intercepts show the TTP militant’s close coordination with major terror groups, Al-Qaeda.
Elements of Al-Qaeda’s explosives unit reportedly train his squad in advanced IED crafting making his cell technically superior to most TTP factions, they said. He communicates using iridium satellite phones and encrypted Alrawi app, bypassing standard interception, they added.
The Kurram attack comes amid broader regional instability, including an ongoing conflict with the Afghan Taliban and internal tensions in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been hit hard. According to a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) report published last week, 298 people died due to terrorism this year through October 22. The deceased included 117 police personnel and 181 civilians, while 486 others were injured.
Data shows that authorities conducted 2,366 intelligence-based operations across the province, resulting in the arrest of 1,124 militants and the killing of 368 terrorists.
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
First Published:
October 30, 2025, 08:00 IST
News world Ahmad Kazim: Who Is 'Deadly' TTP Commander In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nicknamed 'Field Marshal'?
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