TTP blames Pakistan Army for deaths of civilians including Masood Azhar's family, issues rare condolence statement
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a rare condolence statement in the wake of the recent Pakistan-India border tensions, blaming the Pakistan Army for the deaths of civilians, including members of the family of Maulana Masood Azhar.
In an official note dated May 8, 2025, and signed by TTP spokesperson Muhammad Khorasani, the group expressed 'deep sorrow and grief' over the deaths, referring to the incident as a 'tragic' one in which civilians were 'martyred at various places.'
'According to the authentic information received, the information provided for this attack was from Pakistan's traitorous and pro-Western army, which is nothing new,' the statement read. It accused the army of having 'always dealt with Islamists, scholars and mujahideen' through repression.
The TTP further alleged that the Pakistan Army had a long-standing record of targeting its own people and called it a 'murderous group' with hands 'stained with the blood of Afghans, scholars, and Mujahideen of Islam.'
'This is the same army that painted the streets of the country with the blood of the Ulama Haqq, and arrested the Mujahideen and handed them over to the infidels,' the group claimed.
The statement extended condolences to the families of the deceased, saying, 'Their pain is our pain.' It called on the people of Pakistan, particularly the Ulama and Islamist community, to reject the 'delusions' of the army.
The document notably mentions the family of Masood Azhar, the chief of the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) group, claiming they were among those killed.
The statement did not directly mention India or the recent Indian strikes but comes in the backdrop of heightened military tensions between India and Pakistan, following Operation Sindoor, during which the Indian armed forces reportedly targeted terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
This is one of the rare instances where the TTP has publicly acknowledged civilian deaths and blamed the Pakistan military during a cross-border escalation.
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