Mukhtar A. Khan
Mukhtar A. Khan is a Pashtun journalist based in Washington, D.C., covering the issues of Taliban and al-Qaeda in Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions. Since 9/11, he has extensively covered the War on Terror in Pakistan-Afghanistan tribal areas, both for the local and international media, including the BBC, Mail on Sunday, and Voice of America. Before shifting to Washington D.C., Mukhtar closely monitored Pakistan’s tribal areas by paying frequent visits to it and interviewing top Taliban leadership. Currently, he is working on a book on increasing trends of militancy in Pakistan-Afghanistan border regions and its spillover to rest of the world. He is also contributing articles to various local and international publications on terrorism.
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Articles by Mukhtar A. Khan
Islamic State a Deadly Force in Kabul
Afghanistan is no stranger to brutal terrorist attacks, but this year began with a series of particularly vicious deadly attacks in Kabul, the only secured and highly fortified city in
Bajaur Agency: The New Landscape of Insurgency in FATA
Amid conflicting reports that Pakistani Taliban Chief Hakimullah Mahsud has succumbed to his injuries after being targeted in a U.S. drone attack last month, there is also news that the
Pakistan’s Most Wanted: A Profile of Tehrik-e-Taliban Leader Baitullah Mahsud
By threatening to attack the White House and making a bizarre claim of responsibility for the shooting rampage at a U.S. immigration center in Binghamton, New York, the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP)
The Hunt for Pakistan’s Most Wanted Terrorists
Despite the fact that the Pakistani military has pushed Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters out of 90 percent of their stronghold in the South Waziristan tribal agency bordering Afghanistan, there are
Taliban Commander Known as “the Butcher” Dies After Arrest in Swat Valley
The Pakistani military’s powerful offensive in Swat has destroyed much of the terror network of the Taliban. The fiery “FM Mullahs” who once announced death threats to opponents on their
Local Militants Struggle with Taliban Government for Control of Pakistan’s Khyber Agency
Pakistani security forces have not yet established their writ in parts of the volatile Khyber tribal agency. Despite a drawn out military operation dubbed Sirat-e-Mustaqeem (Straight Path), the wary Islamist
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed – India’s Most Wanted Man Free Again in Pakistan
The release of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, founder of proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Amir of Jama'at-ud-Da'wa (JuD), from detention last month in Pakistan has raised eyebrows in the West as well
A Profile of the Late Qari Zainuddin Mahsud –Waziristan Militant and Opponent of Baitullah Mahsud
Pakistan’s military is facing tough resistance in its battle against the Taliban in Pakistan’s South Waziristan tribal agency along the border with Afghanistan. The military has been pounding Taliban leader
Pakistani Government Offensive in Swat Heading for the Taliban of Waziristan
After the Swat military offensive, Pakistan’s military has completed preparations for marching into Waziristan to fight a tough but decisive battle against the hardcore Taliban militia in the rugged mountains.
The FM Mullahs and the Taliban’s Propaganda War in Pakistan
The scenic Swat valley is thundering with both aerial bombardments and fiery Taliban FM radio sermons. In a large-scale military operation dubbed Operation Rah-e-Raast (Operation Straight Path), the Pakistani army
Pakistan’s Most Wanted: A Profile of Tehrik-e-Taliban Leader Baitullah Mahsud
By threatening to attack the White House and making a bizarre claim of responsibility for the shooting rampage at a U.S. immigration center in Binghamton, New York, the Tehrik-e-Taliban [TTP]
A Profile of Militant Groups in Bajaur Tribal Agency
The bloody six-month-long stand-off in the restive and strategically important Bajaur Tribal Agency of Pakistan has ended in a ceasefire and an agreement between the Taliban and Pakistan’s security forces.
The Return of Shari’a Law to Pakistan’s Swat Region
After 16 months of bitter fighting between local Islamists and government forces in Pakistan’s Swat region, the central government has announced the implementation of a set of judicial regulations that
Roundup of Kabul Suicide Gang Reveals Ties to Pakistan
Suicide bombings have become a regular insurgent tactic in Afghanistan since 2005, with a special focus on Kabul in the last year. The number of such attacks have grown considerably
Kashmir’s al-Badr Mujahideen Hard Hit by Indian Offensive
India’s military has intensified operations against the Pakistan-sponsored Kashmiri Mujahideen groups still active in Indian-administered Kashmir. In recent days, a top-ranking commander of the militant al-Badr movement, Abu Tamim, was
India’s Sikh Militants Forming Ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Pakistani Intelligence
The recent Mumbai attacks have once again embittered relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals of South Asia - Pakistan and India. India has given Pakistan a list of "handlers" who
The Role of Tribal Lashkars in Winning Pakistan’s War on Terror
After successive failed attempts to tackle the rising militancy in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the adjoining North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan’s new civilian government is now encouraging
Target and Attackers Still a Mystery in Islamabad’s Marriott Bombing
The September 20 terrorist attack on Islamabad’s American-owned Marriott hotel shook the whole country. Shocking scenes of flames engulfing the 290-room hotel were televised live. Mostly used by foreign dignitaries