The Pakistani Taliban has vowed to send fighters to help Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and Syria.
In e-mails sent to news organizations, Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which was formed in 2007 and formally allies itself with Al-Qaeda, urged all jihadist organizations fighting in the Middle East to unite for the greater good.
Shahid told the French news agency AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location that his group had sent between 1,000 to 1,500 fighters to the region so far.
"We will keep on sending mujahedin to help IS militants. We completely support them because we think that this organization was made to serve Islam," Shahid said, without mentioning a formal allegiance.
Analysts believe IS is keen to make inroads in Pakistan, where its efforts so far have been restricted to the distribution of pamphlets inside some bazaars of the northwestern city of Peshawar.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
