KARACHI: The Pakistan Taliban militants set up a cell in Syria six months ago to monitor "the jihad" in the region, the BBC Urdu website reported on Friday.

The militants had visited Syria to set up a base with the assistance of ex-Afghan fighter from the Middle East who had recently moved to the region and to assess the "needs of jihad", Mohammad Amin, a Taliban operative told BBC.

Amin was further quoted as saying that the cell, approved by militant factions both within and outside of the TTP, sends "information and feedback" on the conflict in Syria back to Pakistan.

Their job is to "assess the needs of the Jihad in Syria, and to work out joint operations with our Syrian friends", the senior Taliban member added.

The presence of the Taliban in Syria is perceived to have a sectarian motive as some factions of the militant organisation feel that Sunni Muslims, who constitute a majority in Syria, are being oppressed by Syria's predominantly Shia rulers.

Opinion

Editorial

Missing in action
17 Mar, 2026

Missing in action

NOT exactly known for playing a proactive role in protecting the interests of Muslim nations and populations...
Risk to stability
Updated 17 Mar, 2026

Risk to stability

THE risks to Pakistan’s fragile economic recovery from the US-Israel war on Iran cannot be dismissed. Yet the...
Enrolment push
17 Mar, 2026

Enrolment push

THE federal government has embarked upon the welcome initiative to enrol 25,000 out-of-school children in Islamabad...
Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....