What is "sulaimankhel"

The Sulaimankhel , or Suleiman Khel, are a Pashtun sub-tribe of the Ghilji tribe of Bettani confederation of Pashtuns. In the early 20th century, the tribe was recognised as generally pastoral.

In 1924, the Sulaimankhel joined in the Khost Rebellion initiated by the Mangal tribe.

The Sulaimankhel are one of the largest Ghilji Pashtun subtribes. Population of this tribe primarily lies in Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to Gulab Mangal, former governor of Paktika Province, the Sulaimankhel provided the majority of recruits for the Taliban in the province. As a result, the level of Anti-Coalition Militia activities remain high in areas dominated by Sulaimankhel. The bias of some sub-tribes toward the Taliban in part may be explained by their proximity to the Pakistan border and the influx of insurgents and the radical politics. People of the tribe are ferocious and very fierce. They have been allied with the Hotaki in the past, and their traditional rivals include the Kharoti. Principal sub-divisions of the Sulaimankhel include the Khazarkhel, Alizai, Sulemanzai, and Jalalzai. Other sub-divisions include the Alikhel, the Nizamkhel, and the Shakhel. It is interesting to note that the Alikhel sub-tribe, which primarily lives in the northwest of Paktika, has been more cooperative with the central government and coalition forces. The Nizamkhel and Shakhel also remain more supportive of the government, which may be explained in part by their rivalry with the Jalalzai. Sulaimankhel tribesmen are known as warriors and have been major contributors to the mujahideen during Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. New official Sulaimankhel Tribal Council licensed and registered with The Afghanistan Ministry of Justice and The Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs has been established in Kabul Afghanistan. Ayoub Khalikyar Sulaimankhel is the president of Sulaimankhel Tribal Council of Afghanistan.