Federal Minister of Interior Rana Sanaullah has said that the number of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists in the region was between 7,000 to 10,000.
In an interview with a private news channel, he revealed that they were accompanied by 25,000 members of their families.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah pointed out that some locals were also involved in crimes such as extortion and blackmail and alleged that the provincial government had failed to stop them.
“The biggest reason for this is the failure of [the] Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Counter Terrorism Department […] It is their job to stop it.”
Commenting on the prevalent viewpoint that TTP took the dialogue and ceasefire excuse to regroup, Interior Minister said the group never scattered and was further supported by the success of the Afghan Taliban.
Earlier The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed that a second militant group from Balochistan has joined the ranks of the militant outfit
According to a statement issued by TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khurasani, “the militant group led by separatist leader Mazar Baloch from the Makran district of southern Balochistan has joined TTP”.
It is pertinent to mention here that this is the second such group from Balochistan to join the TTP.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Khurasani referred to the newly merged group as “the most influential” among the Baloch liberation and separatist groups.
The merger has brought the total tally of groups joining the TTP to 22 since July 2020.
Read More : A New Militant Group joins TTP
