Thread by @abdsayedd

TTP issued a statement confirming its two senior commanders' assassination, blaming it on the Pakistani security agencies. Both originally belonged to JuA or TTP Mohmand. The statement condemns the news reports which claimed these assassinations as intra-TTP fighting. 1/6

Several TTP senior commanders are assassinated in Kunar-Nangarhar in the last two years, but it is the first time TTP issued such a statement on these mysterious killings. The statement has three important points. 2/6

First, TTP claims their assassination location in the Methay area of Mohmand agency, which is few kilometers away from the Baharabad-Shonkray locality of the Sarkani district of Kunar province, where local sources confirmed that this attack took place. 3/6

Second, TTP warns Pakistani journalists to avoid "BASELESS" reports against them. The news reports claimed that the killed commanders were involved in attacks on the Shrines and were responsible for collecting TTP funding from external states. 4/6

Third, TTP, particularly its Mohmand chapter has issued similar warnings to journalists and has claimed assassination attempts on senior Pakistani journalists including @HamidMirPAK. See, nation.com.pk/08-Aug-2014/tt…, dawn.com/news/1100972, 5/6

A founding commander of TTP & JuA, belonging to TTP Mohmand, Qari Shakil was also mysteriously killed in Nangarhar in 2015. JuA leader Abdul Wali blamed the Pakistan security agencies for his killing through infiltrating JuA ranks. dawn.com/news/1169456 6/6