TTP creates a militant group to attack Punjab

The radical group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has created a new dedicated group of militants for terrorist attacks on the Pakistani province of Punjab. The Dawn newspaper reported this with reference to the Pakistani intelligence services.

According to them, the Afghanistan-based TTP has formed a terrorist wing called Istrna to target law enforcement agencies in Punjab and increase its influence in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Initially, this special group included just 10-12 militants; now, according to intelligence information, its numbers have increased to about 50 people.

Last week Istrna militants used civilian hostages in attacks on the Jangi border post on the Pakistani-Afghan border and on police in the Vohawa district, and stepped up recruitment among locals there. Because of the threat from this terrorist group, police and border guards have been put on high alert in remote tribal areas along the Afghan border and at Lakhani, Jangi and Triman checkpoints.

The group is seeking to establish an “Islamic system” in Pakistan. The TTP has been under UN sanctions since 2011 as an organization affiliated with al-Qaeda. The TTP is estimated to have up to 35,000 fighters, making it the largest jihadist organization in the region.