Pakistan Taliban claim thousands of fighters sent to Afghanistan to fight US surge

Pakistan Taliban say fighters going to Afghanistan

SHAKTOI, Pakistan — A top Pakistani Taliban commander says he has sent thousands of insurgents to neighboring Afghanistan to rebuff incoming U.S. troops.

The claim comes as an army offensive has apparently pushed many of his fighters to flee their main redoubt.

Waliur Rehman told The Associated Press in an exclusive face to face interview Monday that the Pakistani Taliban are still waging a guerrilla war against the army in South Waziristan tribal region.

Rehman is the main deputy to Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud.

His claims were nearly impossible to independently verify.

Access to the tribal belt is severely restricted. Spokesmen for the Pakistani army and the U.S. military could not immediately be reached for comment.