Mutilated bodies of five Taliban suspects found in NWFP

Islamabad/Mohmand Agency, Aug.10 (ANI): The mutilated bodies of five suspect Taliban fighters have been recovered in the insurgency-hit Swat valley in Pakistan's northwest.

The private NNI news agency quoted reports, as saying that bullet-ridden bodies of four Taliban fighters were found along a river at Anghro Derai and Kanju areas of Swat in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

The bodies had signs of torture and their faces were badly mutilated and establishing their identity was difficult.

Witnesses said that the Taliban members were believed to be killed a few days ago and that they all were seemed to be locals. Another body was found at Aman Kot, a small town in the outskirts of Mingora.

Locals say the practice of throwing bodies of Taliban fighters in streets and on roads in Swat has continued since the security forces took control of the valley. Around 40 bodies of Taliban fighters have been recovered in different areas of Swat in the past several months.

The government is tight lipped as to who are behind the mysterious killings of Taliban insurgents.

Xinhua quoted Fazal Karim Khattak, the Commissioner Malakand, as saying that the government did not know who was behind the murder of the Taliban suspects.

Others described the killing of the Taliban as an act of revenge by those whose relatives had been killed earlier by the militants.

According to the NNI report, some also suspect that the police and other security forces may be behind such killings.

A Daily Times report said the Taliban death toll in the tribal-dominated Mohmand Agency was 17 and included a Khwazai peace committee chief, five others and 11 Taliban.

They were killed in a clash in the Payazai tehsil of the agency.

A political administration official claimed a group of Taliban attacked peace committee head Malik Ajmal's residence at around 2 a.m. Ajmal's security guards and volunteers retaliated the attack.

It also said that the Khasadar Force has cordoned off the area following the clash and launched a search operation.

Ajmal Khan was a pro-government tribal elder, who had captured 12 Taliban and handed them over to security forces last week.

Mohmand, bordering eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, is one of seven lawless tribal districts in northwestern Pakistan, where Taliban frequently attack local tribesmen and security forces.

In a separate incident, two civilians and a policeman were killed when Taliban ambushed a police convoy in Bannu on Sunday. (ANI)