Islamabad, Oct 29 (Inditop.com) The Taliban and the Al Qaeda have distanced themselves from the deadly market blast in Peshawar that claimed 105 lives, saying they don’t explode bombs in such areas, reported a Pakistani paper Thursday.

The News quoted an Al Qaeda statement as saying the group was not involved in the killing of innocent people. Most of those killed in the blast were women and children.

According to Al Qaeda sources cited by the newspaper, elements who want to defame jehad were behind the Peshawar blast. The sources also said Al Qaeda would continue its jehad against the US and its agents across the world.

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in an e-mail sent to the media, also condemned the Peshawar blast and denied its involvement.

The Pakistani military is currently engaged in a major offensive against the TTP in South Waziristan, and the Peshawar attack, as also a rash of terror strikes and suicide bombings this month, have been seen as retaliation for this.