Islamabad, April 8 (IANS): Is the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) playing a double game -- holding peace talks with the government on one hand and on the other quietly urging its "informal affiliates" to stage attacks in cities like Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta?

It would seem so from an alert issued by the interior ministry last week that the newly-formed Ansarul Hind would attack Pakistani cities, Dawn reported Tuesday.

The source, who issued the alert, however, did not know when the militants would strike, adding that the TTP leadership had wished its "informal affiliates" to create the new group, the report said.

"TTP will choose the targets and the informal groups under its umbrella will provide support to the Ansarul Hind activists with weapons and other materials," the source added.

The authorities are taking the threat seriously, police sources said.

"Although peace talks are in progress, we are taking necessary measures to counter terrorism in the cities," one officer was quoted as saying.

"Law enforcing agencies will be the main targets of the terrorists and, in the case of their failure, any other official installation or public place," he added.

The newspaper, citing security sources, said the scenario looked similar to the terrorist attacks that quickly followed the announcement of a month-long ceasefire by the TTP last month.

The most audacious of them was the bomb-and-gun attack on the district courts complex in Islamabad March 3, for which the Ansarul Hind group claimed responsibility.