4 terrorist groups that condemned APS terror attack

LAHORE (Staff Report) - It has been a year since a group of seven terrorists stormed into Pakistan's Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar and killed as many as 141 people including 134 children ranging from 5 to 18 years.

The barbaric act of terrorism was one of the very few incidents that jolted humanity and was condemned worldwide. Even few globally known militant organisations also moved openly opposing the deliberate massacre of school going children.

The groups not only termed the killings against teachings of any religion or ideology on earth but also called it a crime against humanity.

These four militant outfits immediately uncalled the APS massacre in statement to media

1- Afghan Taliban:

The largest insurgent group of Taliban in Afghanistan was the first militant movement to condemn the Peshawar school attack saying that Islamic teachings strongly prohibit the deliberate killings of innocents specially the children.

Zabihullah Mujahid, who then functioned as spokesman of the group, said that intentional killing of children and women was against basic lessons of Islam.

2- Jamaat-ul-Ahrar:

The splinter terrorist group of Pakistani Taliban, which had announced allegiance to Islamic State militant group based in middle east, also condemned the attack on APS Peshawar.

In a statement issued to media the spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan said that his associates discourage the killing of innocent children following in the footsteps of Afghan Taliban.

3- Lashkar-e-Jhangvi:

The condemned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which is often blamed for sectarian killings in Pakistan, also moved against the December 16 attack in Peshawar.

Ghulam Rasool Shah, then deputy of group's chief Malik Ishaq, also termed the barbaric act as worst example of cruelty which had no religious or social justification.

Gulam Rasool Shah and Malik Ishaq both were killed by Pakistan's counter terrorism department  in two separate incidents.

4- Al-Qaeda:

World's most dangerous terrorist organisation al-Qaeda, which is said to be headed by Dr Ayeman al-Zawahri since the death of Osama bin Laden in a US special operation in Abbotabad, Pakistan; also uncalled the killing of schoolchildren in a media statement.

The spokesman of al-Qaeda's sub-continent chapter, Usama Mahmood, expressed extreme sorrow on the incident. He issued a four-page statement to condemn the incident and explain the group's strategy while choosing targets for carry out attacks. He called all insurgent groups to avoid killing children, women and innocents in any of their armed activity.