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Pakistani Taliban commander admits terrorist attacks in video

Xinhua, April 26, 2017 Adjust font size:

Pakistan army on Wednesday released video of a senior Taliban leader, who has admitted the group's involvement in terrorist attacks in public places in the country.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former spokesman of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), surrendered to the security forces earlier this month, according to the military spokesman.

Ehsan was one of the few known faces of the Taliban leaders, who would take responsibility for the attacks in Pakistan. He later joined several other Taliban commanders to form a splinter group TTP Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. As the group's spokesman, Ehsan would claim responsibility for the attacks in Pakistan.

"The Taliban carry out blasts in public places, schools, colleges and universities. Our religion does not allow such attacks," the militant leader said.

He disclosed that the Taliban leaders faced rift after the Pakistani forces launched a major operation in North Waziristan tribal region in 2014.

He revealed that all the Taliban leaders fled to Afghanistan after the 2014 operation and that the Pakistani Taliban leaders had "links" with foreign intelligence agencies, who supported and provided financial assistance to them.

"The Taliban leaders had gone into their safe heavens and had left the fighters to fight the Pakistani forces," he said.

He admitted that several camps of the TTP JA were destroyed in Nangarhar's Lalpura area in shelling by the Pakistani forces in February. He said several Taliban commanders were killed in the shelling. He claimed that the stranded commanders and the fighters were disappointed and wanted to return to Pakistan.

He said the Taliban leaders focused on the social media after the Pakistani media stopped their coverage. The TTP leaders would share propaganda materials on the social media to mislead the people, especially the youth.

"I appeal to the youth who use social media not to be missed by the Taliban leaders as they are playing in the hands of others. This is the reason I have surrendered to the Pakistan army." Endit