5 Pakistani Taliban arrested over PUBG game
Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province said in PakistanThe members Taliban group They used the video game PUBG for internal communications and planning their attacks.
A police officer confirmed that the group had previously relied primarily on WhatsApp for communication.
In this regard, the police announced the arrest of 5 members of the Pakistani Taliban group, for using the PUBG game to send messages to coordinate their operations.
“This is the first time I have come across something like this,” police officer Zahidullah told television. “Usually, they used WhatsApp, but now they have found new ways to exchange messages.”
The five, aged between 18 and 20, are accused of attacking a police station in Swat on August 28, killing a police officer. Police used CCTV to track them down.
Map showing the location of Swat in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, he reported Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies In 2023, more than 600 people, including security personnel and civilians, were killed in 423 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the Pakistani Taliban is most active.
“I am not very familiar with PUBG, but it seems to be very popular among young people, and they can create chat groups to communicate through it,” Zahidullah added.
For years, the Pakistani Taliban have targeted military and government targets. Islamabad has accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring these militants and allowing them to cross Durand lineaccusations that the Afghan Taliban denied.
Challenge to control digital communications
According to experts, the use of technology by militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban is evolving, making it harder for authorities to track and prevent attacks.
PUBG, a popular online game, has become a tool for these militants, highlighting the challenge of controlling digital communications.
This trend raises concerns about the increasing use of non-traditional platforms to coordinate between armed groups at the regional level.
