British Muslims our main bankrollers, says Taliban commander

London, Oct.21 (ANI): A Taliban commander has told Sky News that the bulk of the funding for the insurgent group comes from the British Muslim community in the UK.

The regional leader made the claims at a secret meeting after we travelled deep into bandit country under the cover of darkness.

The meeting took place in central Kunar province.

"We are not like a government, we depend on individuals. We get donations from our Muslim brothers in Britain for Jihad. It is the duty of all Muslims to pay towards fighting Jihad. This is how we get our money and buy our weapons and carry on fighting," the Taliban regional commander said.

The commander claimed to have over 1,000 men in Kunar, with more in Pakistan who cross the border with impunity.

He said they had been given special permission to speak to us by the Taliban leadership and that their usual order to take all foreigners hostage had been suspended for the duration of our meeting.

The Sky News team was taken to meet the commander by 30 men in total, dressed in ordinary Afghan clothes but with their faces masked by their scarves. Their weapons and gun belts strapped were over their shoulders.

The commander said they were prepared to negotiate with the authorities but that the first demand on the agenda was unmovable; the foreign troops had to withdraw. (ANI)