The OxusWatch
@theoxuswatch
Independent research platform on armed groups and regional security. Informing policy and public understanding on South & Central Asia.
In the inaugural piece, @abdsayedd analyzes the Taliban’s ban on Afghans fighting in Pakistan, unpacking the political-religious rationale and implications for Afghanistan–Pakistan bilateral relations. oxuswatch.com/content/dynami…
"Maulana Khan Zeb's death has raised accusations the country’s intelligence agencies are propping up various militant outfits for their strategic purposes and foreign policy goals". @DaudKhattak1 for @RFERL rferl.org/a/33478657.html
Implications of ISKP’s Declaration of War Against the Baloch Liberation Army: By @basitresearcher "Any BLA-ISKP inter-group clashes will ease counterterrorism challenges for Pakistan’s security institutions in the short-term". thediplomat.com/2025/07/implic…
According to reports, a joint Syrian, American and Turkish operation in the city of al-Bab resulted in the arrest of a ISIS Spokesperson and the killing of 12 members of the group.
Syria and the US (and maybe Turkey) jointly raided an ISIS cell in the city of al-Bab around 2 am. A 45-year-old Iraqi ISIS leader was allegedly arrested.
Good round up by @abdsayedd on how Al Qaeda, ISKP, the Taliban and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reacted to #OperationSindoor. Good reminder that jihadist groups have individualistic politics despite perceptions of common ideology. jamestown.org/program/jihadi…
An exclusive photo of Pir Ainul Zaman Akhundzada, a senior Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader from Balochistan, published today by Umar Media. He is a member of TTP’s leadership council, belongs to a political family in Zhob, & has long served as the TTP’s Balochistan chief.
This marks a significant shift: Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI), once confined to a few tribes in Khyber, has announced its first expansion into South Waziristan—a traditional TTP stronghold—following a recent similar move by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction of Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen.
First time that Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI) has officially announced that it has incorporated a commander from Ladha, South Waziristan. LeI has claimed that a group led by Batur, a former companion of TTP leader Hakeemullah Mehsud, has joined the group & the broader IMP platform
Within a week, Baloch separatists killed three Pakistan Army officers of Major rank in separate attacks across Balochistan. Major Rab Nawaz Tariq was killed in a clash during an IBO in Awaran, Major Anwar Kakar in an IED blast in Quetta, and Major Ziad in an ambush in Mastung.
May the agreement be implemented with sincerity, leading to increased trade between the two countries and contributing to lasting peace and regional stability. Strengthening economic ties is a vital step toward a more cooperative future.
Pakistan's Secretary Commerce Jawad Paul and Afghanistan's Deputy Trade Minister Mullah Ahmadullah Zahid signed the Early Harvest Program of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) between the two countries. Under this agreement, Pakistan will export mangoes, kinnows, bananas, and…
Uzbekistan’s intel chief visited Kabul & met senior Taliban leaders—MoD Mullah Yaqoob & MoI Sirajuddin Haqqani— reportedly thanking them for bilateral cooperation, including on security. The visit follows Tashkent’s recent bust of a major ISKP network in Namangan.
Uzbekistan’s State Security Service (SSS) has dismantled a clandestine ISKP cell in the eastern Namangan city which was running online propaganda networks. 16 suspects arrested; extremist materials and electronic devices seized. caliber.az/en/post/uzbek-…
In a significant development in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi — a close aide to the COAS, Field Marshal — along with Special Representative for Afghanistan Sadiq Khan, is scheduled to depart today for a special visit to Kabul.
Federal Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied by SAPM/Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq and Secretary Interior, will shortly depart from Lahore Airforce Base to Kabul to meet his Afghan counterpart, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Uzbekistan’s State Security Service (SSS) has dismantled a clandestine ISKP cell in the eastern Namangan city which was running online propaganda networks. 16 suspects arrested; extremist materials and electronic devices seized. caliber.az/en/post/uzbek-…
In his latest piece for @JamestownTweets, @abdsayedd analyzes how jihadist groups like AQIS, TTP, and ISKP responded to the recent Pakistan-India conflict; offering insights into their evolving narratives and regional strategies. For details, see: jamestown.org/program/jihadi…
Al-Mersad, a pro-Afghan Taliban media outlet, has released a collection of short essays aimed at countering anti-Taliban propaganda from ISKP, while reinforcing key narratives on the Taliban’s domestic and foreign policy positions. More at: oxuswatch.com/content/almirs…
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s announcement of a new pledge of allegiance by a militant group from Charsadda district has once again brought internal rifts within the organization into the spotlight. For details, see: oxuswatch.com/content/jua-tt…
Afghanistan’s strategic role as a land bridge between South and Central Asia is reaffirmed with today’s trilateral agreement on the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan Railway Project—a key step toward enhanced regional trade, connectivity, and cooperation.
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul, where two key Deputy Interior Ministers, Mawlawi Sadr Ibrahim and Mawlawi Najibullah, were also present along with other officials.
Pleased to meet with H.E. Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Interior Minister of #Afghanistan. We discussed the growing cooperation between our countries in the field of security, law enforcement, and regional stability. Commended the efforts of the Afghan Ministry of Interior in…
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson condemned Israel’s airstrike on Syria, criticizing the US & Western silence. He also slammed Muslim leaders for inaction, warning that strikes on Palestine, Iran, & now Syria show Israel aims to target all Muslim countries in sequence.