Transcending boundaries: Militant group swears allegiance to Islamic State

ISLAMABAD: A little known group, Tehreek-e-Khilafat (TeK), that claimed responsibility for a string of attacks in Karachi, has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

The group pledged to raise the Islamic State’s (IS) flag in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Using the poetic language often favoured by jihadist groups, it said in a statement: “From today, Sheikh Abu Bakr al Baghdadi shall consider TeK and Jihad mujahideen fighters of Pakistan as one of the arrows among his arrows which he has kept for his bow.

“We are praying from the almighty Allah to give us chance in our lives to see the expansion of Islamic State boundaries toward the Sub­Continent and Khurasan region in order to hoist the flag of Islamic State here.”

It is thought to be the first group beyond the Middle East to have offered support.

Tehreek-e-Khilafat and Jihad is considered part of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella movement linked to al Qaeda containing dozens of terrorist groups, racketeers and sectarian outfits.

Saifullah Mehsud, of the Fata Research Centre which monitors activity in Pakistan’s tribal areas, said he expected more militant groups to follow suit.