TTP’s unprecedented spike in claimed attacks in Chitral in June 2025
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for 72 attacks in the northern district of Chitral, Pakistan, in June 2025—an unusually high number of attacks in this specific region.
During the same month, TTP reported a total of 307 attacks across 24 districts in Pakistan, with the highest number occurring in Chitral, followed by 55 in North Waziristan, 53 in South Waziristan, and 33 in the Khyber district.
The Oxus Watch notes that between January 2022 and May 2025—a span of 41 months—TTP claimed a total of 42 attacks in Chitral, with the highest monthly count being 14 in May 2025. TTP did not claim any attacks in Chitral during 2020 and 2021.
The TTP released its list of attacks for June 2025 through its official media outlet, Umar Media, in the form of a one-page infographic published on its designated social media channels. The infographic was issued separately in Pashto, Urdu, English, and Arabic. However, the number of attacks reported in this monthly infographic exceeded the total listed in the routine daily reports issued by TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khurasani by 10 attacks, all of which were attributed to Chitral.
Khurasani’s daily reports covering the period from June 1 to June 30 recorded a total of 297 attacks, of which 62 were reported in Chitral. TTP routinely publishes monthly attack reports; however, this instance marks the first time such a significant discrepancy in reported figures has been observed.
Additionally, in June 2025, TTP released video footage showing the presence and activities of its militants in Chitral, which illustrates the group’s increasing militant operations in the district. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the substantial number of claimed attacks in Chitral has not been independently verified by Pakistani media or other independent sources.
Chitral holds strategic significance for TTP due to its remote, mountainous terrain and critical geographical location. It borders the Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nuristan, and Badakhshan, as well as Pakistan’s Swat and Upper Dir districts, which are key operational zones for TTP networks in Pakistan.
In September 2023, TTP planned a major offensive aimed at seizing key areas in Chitral, which was ultimately thwarted by Pakistani security forces. The increasing number of attacks and corroborative video evidence from Chitral suggest that TTP may have succeeded in infiltrating the district with a substantial number of militants. Rather than seeking territorial control, their apparent objective is to consolidate their position by carrying out consistent, small-scale attacks against government forces. This strategy mirrors TTP’s operational pattern in the remote, mountainous border regions of Khyber, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan, where the group conducts sustained attacks against security forces.
