Taliban claims responsibility for New York 'attack'

The Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for the 'attack' in Binghamton, New York, where a gunman went on a shooting spree at the American Civic Centre on Friday,  killing 13 people before turning the gun on himself.

Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud told Reuters from an undisclosed location, "I accept responsibility. They are my men who attacked New York."

The 'attack' was in response to US drone strikes in Pakistan, which target al Qaeda and Taliban militants along the country's border with Afghanistan, Mehsud said.

The Pakistani Taliban commander claimed the attack was launched by a Pakistani man and another unidentified man. The chief of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan warned that 'such attacks would continue' to avenge missile strikes by US drones in tribal areas and 'brutalities in Palestine'.

Mehsud also pointed out that he had said a few days ago that his militants would carry out attacks on American soil. The claim by the Pakistani Taliban commander came hours after a US drone attack in North Waziristan tribal agency killed 13 people, including women and children.

Authorities in New York said a man armed with two handguns killed 13 people at an immigration services centre before killing himself. The gunman was believed to be of Vietnamese-origin.

Mehsud had recently claimed responsibility for the terrorist siege of a police training centre at Manawan near Lahore that killed eight persons and injured over 90 as well as for two recent suicide attacks.