TTP Announces New Structure, 'Air Force' Unit; Pakistan Faces Escalating Terror Threat

• Banned terrorist group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced a new organizational structure for 2026, including a command structure, territory redistribution, and an 'Air Force' unit.
• The new structure reorganizes military units, creates two new monitoring zones (Western Zone: Balochistan, Central Zone), and claims Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan as "shadow provinces."
• Key appointments include Ehsanullah Ipi as Head of Southern Military Zone and Salim Haqqani leading the 'Air Force' unit, a move experts see as an exaggeration of capabilities.
• Pakistan faces a surge in militant attacks, with over 600 incidents last year after the ceasefire ended in November 2022, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
• Pakistan alleges TTP operates from Afghanistan, leading to airstrikes targeting TTP Chief Noor Wali Mehsud, while increased India-Afghanistan contact also impacts regional counter-terrorism.

Why It Matters: TTP's new structure and 'Air Force' unit signal a dangerous escalation in Pakistan's internal security challenges.