Peshawar school massacre: Taliban commander Umar Naray suspected to have masterminded the attack from Afghanistan

Umar Naray, a Pakistani Taliban commander based in Afghanistan, is suspected to have masterminded Tuesday's attack on an army school in Peshawar that left 132 children dead, Dawn.com reported on Wednesday.

Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif is in Kabul for a meeting with Afghan military leadership over tracking down the people who planned the massacre, said the report.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had claimed responsibility for the attack as a revenge for the army operations against the outfit in Waziristan.

"We selected the army's school for the attack because the government is targeting our families and females. We want them to feel the pain," Taliban spokesman Muhammad Umar Khorasani was quoted as saying.

There were reports that the nine terrorists who stormed the school and were subsequently killed by security forces were in communication with Naray. The attackers were reportedly led by an Uzbek man.

The Taliban faction in Afghanistan has however distanced itself from the attack.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has always condemned the killing of children and innocent people at every juncture," the Afghan Taliban said in a statement, according to Dawn.com.

"The intentional killing of innocent people, women and children goes against the principles of Islam and every Islamic government and movement must adhere to this fundamental essence."

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses its condolences over the incident and mourns with the families of killed children."