Taliban says new faction targeting foreigners killed climbers

London: The Taliban has said its branch set up to target foreigners killed the 10 climbers in northern Pakistan. Ten people including nine foreign tourists and one local guide were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Pakistan`s northern area of Gilgit in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

They were forced to kneel and shot in the head, officials said, as more details emerged about Saturday`s deadly assault at Nanga Parbat base camp. According to the BBC, the Pakistani Taliban said that the new faction, named Junoodul Hifsa in local media, was set up to take revenge for drone attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban had earlier said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of their second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, who died in a suspected US drone strike in May. The nationalities of the foreign victims have now been identified as American, Chinese,Ukrainian, Slovakian, Lithuanian, Nepali , and one Pakistani. At least 15 gunmen dressed in the uniform of local security forces carried out the attack. ANI