Newly formed militant group called Tehreek-e-Taliban India causes stir

New Delhi: A newly-found reported militant group named the Tehreek-e-Taliban India (TTI) has emerged over the internet, but claims that it has nothing to do with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Afghan Taliban, Samaa TV reported.

The profile gives the name of the group in Urdu, Hindi and English and seems particular about the abbreviation, TTI, which looks similar to THE TTP.

Afghanistan’s Taliban have used a totally different name and abbreviation. They call themselves the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is abbreviated as IEA, the report said.

In a tweet on February 9, the group announced that its Emir is Maulana Al Qureshi.

The group says that it has “announced its official activities on Thursday, following a meeting of its leaders in India”.

The announcement was posted in English, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi.

Although the TTI claims that it has no connection with TTP or the Afghan Taliban, it retweeted a picture of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban, Samaa TV reported.

The TTI has announced its India launch through notifications on Twitter.

“The Indian government has no choice. Without war or peace with Tehreek-e-Taliban India,” it tweeted.

“Tehreek-e-Taliban India. Taliban is a common name. And it has nothing to do with the Taliban in Afghanistan or Pakistan. The Indian Taliban is made up of Muslim scholars. And created for peace in India and Kashmir. And so far thousands of Indian and Kashmiri Muslims have joined it,”it said while clarifying the Taliban name and also because it sounds a lookalike of the TTP which is at war against the Pakistan government.

TTI also put out a notification saying that Twitter has received a request from Indian law enforcement that the content violates the laws of India.

The announcement to establish the TTI was carried out via a tweet from an undisclosed location after the meeting.

(IANS)