A top Pakistani Taliban commander says he has sent thousands of insurgents to neighboring Afghanistan to rebuff incoming U.S. troops, a claim that comes as an army offensive has apparently pushed many of his fighters to flee their main redoubt.

Waliur Rehman told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Monday night that the Pakistani Taliban remain committed to battling the army in South Waziristan tribal region, but that they are essentially waging a guerrilla war.

"Since Obama is also sending additional forces to Afghanistan, we sent thousands of our men there to fight NATO and American forces," Rehman said. The Afghan "Taliban needed our help at this stage, and we are helping them."

Rehman is the deputy to Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who took over the extremist network in August after a U.S. missile strike killed former commander Baitullah Mehsud.