Militancy in Bajaur and Local Response: A Thematic Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i1.2525Keywords:
Militancy, TTP, Bajaur, Afghanistan, FATAAbstract
This study provides an in-depth analysis and empirical review of the findings from the past five years of research on the new era of militancy in District Bajaur between 2024 and 2026. The analysis incorporates both primary and secondary data, with the primary data being obtained through interviews in 2026. The secondary sources rely on scholarly articles, government reports, media sources, and other security assessments of District Bajaur's security environment during this time frame. Through examining the way in which the regional political climate changed after 2021, this study will be looking at how the geopolitical world has affected Bajaur and how the interaction between governmental policy, resurgences of militant group activity, and local populations' responses to these militant groups has been altered. The findings show that the resurgence of militancy in District Bajaur cannot be properly explained using only a security-based explanation. The resurgence of extremist groups is due, in part, to a combination of factors that have changed the political geography of the area, a lack of effective governance, grievances related to socio-economic conditions, the ability of militants to cross international borders with little barrier, and finally the fact that communities within the region have now experienced a continuing lack of faith in the institutions of the state. This study also identifies different ways in which communities have used innovative forms of local resistance to insurgency through civic mobilization and through the efforts of peace-oriented activists between 2024 and 2026 than in years past, especially compared to the first three phases of conflict or insurgency.
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