imp

A recent Pakistani Taliban offshoot—Ittehad ul-Mujahideen, or IMP—could buoy al Qaeda’s rise.

IMP’s aim is evident: Hit Pakistan’s security architecture while preparing to export violence into Indian-administered Kashmir.

IMP’s rise could create internecine violence or, worse, deeper coordination between jihadist networks.

IMP isn’t a parochial faction.

The new group’s constituent factions from the Pakistani Taliban have historically had strong affiliations with al Qaeda, and IMP has successfully moved into a power vacuum in Afghanistan left by the Islamic State Khorasan Province.