Pakistani Militants To Help Taliban

Militants from Pakistani regions bordering on Afghanistan are arriving in the country to help the Taliban movement. The fighters come from the Pushtun-inhabited regions, in particular, from the Bajaur district where the positions of radical Muslim groups are quite strong. Reportedly, an 8,000-10,000-strong unit of "volunteers" has been set up in Bajaur. The unit is currently deployed on the border waiting for the Taliban to summon them. According to the News, up to 1,200 armed Pakistani fundamentalists crossed the border in the area of the Upper Dir on Thursday. They headed for Afghan province of Kunar for subsequent deployment in Jelalabad, the main city of the Nangarhar province. According to the On-line agency, Abdul Ali, one of the religious leaders of the Jamiyat Tulaba-e-Islam party, and 150 fighters have crossed the Afghan border in Southern Waziristan. He stated that approximately 6,000 of his followers were ready to join the Taliban units.