Islamabad: The Taliban on Wednesday dumped 15 naked
bodies of Pakistani paramilitary frontier constabulary
personnel kidnapped two weeks ago in a north western town,
signalling that some militant factions may have spurned peace
talks with the government.
"The naked bodies were found in a field near the
mountains," senior police and army officers were quoted as
saying by the TV channels.
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for
the brutal murders and a spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told
the Pashto-language Khyber Television channel that the bodies
of the slain Frontier Constabulary personnel had been dumped
at Spin Tul, an area near North Waziristan Agency.
Heavily armed Taliban fighters had kidnapped 15 security
personnel when they launched a pre-dawn attack on the Frontier
Constabulary's Mullazai Fort in Tank district, located near
South Waziristan Agency, on December 23.
The Taliban had subsequently demanded the release of some
militants in exchange for the paramilitary personnel.
The Taliban apparently killed the security personnel in
retaliation for an operation by security forces against
militants in Khyber Agency a few days ago.
Taliban spokesman Ehsan warned that the militant would
carry out more "revenge attacks" in the coming days.
He said Taliban would also take revenge for an operation
by security forces in Zhob district of Balochistan province
that killed several militants on Wednesday.
Reporters in the tribal belt said the Taliban were angry
at the arrest of several female relatives of militants after
the operation in Tirah valley of Khyber Agency.
The attacks come even as media reports said that Taliban
militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan had formed a new
grouping and pledged to stop targeting Pakistani security
forces.
They had also formed a shura to oversee adherence to
this. The deal, reports said had been worked out at the
intervention of Taliban's elusive supreme commander Mullah
Omar.
But in a dramatic turn around the TTP said it will
continue carrying out suicide attacks and target Pakistani
security forces despite joining other militant groups in a
pledge not to kill innocent people or to resort to kidnappings
for ransom.
Officials said a wanted Taliban commander, Kamran Khalid,
was among 12 militants killed in the operation in Khyber
Agency on Sunday.
The kidnapped Frontier Constabulary personnel were killed
just days after five Taliban factions agreed to form a council
to remove differences and to punish those who kidnap people
from ransom.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of reported
talks between the security establishment and Taliban
militants.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan deputy chief Maulvi Faqir
Muhammad has claimed that talks are going on with the
government but spokesman Ehsan denied the claim.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 10:48