We will continue to carry out attacks such as the one in Bannu,” said Asim Mehsud, a spokesperson for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while also denying reports that escaped prisoners were handed over under any truce with the government.

Speaking from an undisclosed location on Tuesday, Asim denied reports published in a Peshawar based Urdu daily which stated that the Taliban had decided to hand over the escaped prisoners to the government as their sole aim was to release Adnan Rashid.

Rashid, a former junior technician of the Pakistan Air force, was one of the 384 prisoners who escaped the Bannu Central jail in an attack by the TTP on April 15. Rashid was allegedly involved in the murder plot of former President Pervez Musharraf.

“There were no talks between the government and the TTP for the release of the prisoners, neither any plans to hand them back to the government” Asim said.

Commenting on the condition of the escaped prisoners, the TTP spokesperson said that all prisoners had reached safe locations.