New Faction of Pakistani Taliban Behind Tourist Deaths

Pakistan Reports 37 Arrested After Attack

The weekend massacre of 10 foreign tourists likely spells an end to Gilgit-Baltistan’s attraction as a mountaineering hotspot, as the sudden appearance of Taliban fighters in the area, and their determination to kill seemingly any foreigners they see, makes it just too dangerous.

The attackers were apparently part of a new faction of Pakistani Taliban, dubbed the Junood-ul Hifsa (JuH), and which is aimed at attacking foreigners in retaliation for the ongoing US drone war against Pakistan’s tribal areas.

Yet most of the victims of the attack weren’t Americans in the first place, with only one of the ten apparently having a US passport. The rest were Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese.

Pakistan’s government reportedly has captured 37 “suspects” in the incident, and has taken them to an undisclosed location for “interrogation.” The initial reports said 15 gunmen were involved in the attack, so it is unclear if the captives represent supporters of the faction or other fighters simply not involved.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.