Ex-TTP members pledge allegiance to Islamic State

Published January 11, 2015
Ex-TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid (c) speaks in an interview at an undisclosed location. —AP Photo/File
Ex-TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid (c) speaks in an interview at an undisclosed location. —AP Photo/File

ISLAMABAD: An online video was released on Saturday apparently showing former militants of the Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group.

The video shows former TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid along with dozens of other militants in a wooded area.

Shahid already announced his support for the Islamic State group in an audio message in October.

Read also: Six top TTP commanders announce allegiance to Islamic State's Baghdadi

He was later replaced by the TTP. Other militant leaders who identify themselves as from Afghanistan and Pakistan also pledge their support to the Islamic State group.

The SITE Intelligence Group, a US-based terrorism monitor, said the video was released by the Islamic State group on Twitter and jihadi forums.

The video is sure to raise concerns about whether the Islamic State group has found support in Pakistan and Afghanistan, a region already awash with dozens of militant groups.

At the end of the video, the militants killed a man they claim to be a Pakistani soldier.

Taliban militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan owe their allegiance to Mullah Omar, a cleric who has led the Taliban since the 1990s and hasn't been publicly heard from for years.

The area where the video was shot was not identified but Taliban militants are known to operate in the rugged mountainous regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The militants frequently target Pakistani troops who have been carrying out missions in the country's northwest.

There was no immediate comment from the military or government. The Islamic State group controls about a third of both Syria and Iraq.

Opinion

Editorial

Dark turn
Updated 11 Sep, 2024

Dark turn

What transpired in Islamabad should give at least the old guard within the more established political parties some pause.
Clearing the air
11 Sep, 2024

Clearing the air

THE rumour mill had been working overtime regarding a purported extension for the chief justice of the country....
Deplorable remarks
11 Sep, 2024

Deplorable remarks

It is a matter of grave concern that Imran Khan reportedly defended Gandapur’s hideous remarks about the Punjab CM and female journalists.
Delayed bailout
Updated 10 Sep, 2024

Delayed bailout

Dar’s tirade against IMF will likely add to existing uncertainties around the early disbursement of fresh funds.
PTI protest
10 Sep, 2024

PTI protest

IT seems that despite the federal government’s best efforts to sabotage the event, the PTI managed to pull off a...
Superbug threat
Updated 10 Sep, 2024

Superbug threat

THE global superbug crisis — the rise of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics — is a ticking time bomb. A...