DAMASCUS, Syria, July 12 (UPI) -- A base of operations has been set up in Syria by members of the Pakistani Taliban to monitor the Syrian conflict, a senior Taliban operative said.
The BBC reported Friday Mohammad Amin, who it described as a coordinator of the Syrian base, said at least 12 experts in warfare and information technology arrived in Syria in the past two months. Their mission, Amin said, is to "assess the needs of the jihad."
He said the cell sends "information and feedback" on the conflict in Syria back to Pakistan.
"There are dozens of Pakistani hopefuls in line to join the fighting against the Syrian army, but the advice we are getting at the moment is that there's already enough manpower in Syria," he said.
The presence of the Pakistani Taliban in Syria likely has a sectarian motive, the BBC said, adding Taliban factions feel Sunni Muslims, who constitute the majority in Syria, are oppressed by the country's predominantly Shiite rulers.
