Afghan "spy" beheaded in Pakistani border region

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Feb 20 (Reuters) Suspected pro-Taliban militants in a Pakistani region on the Afghan border killed an Afghan refugee they accused of being a US spy, a district government official today said.

The beheaded body of the refugee was dumped by a road yesterday in Saidgey village in the North Waziristan region, a hotbed of support for Islamist militancy.

A note found near the body read: ''Whoever spies for America will meet the same fate'', said the district official, who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Militants in North and neighbouring South Waziristan have killed dozens of people suspected of supporting the Pakistani government or of spying for the United States, which has about 25,000 troops in Afghanistan, in the past three years.

Many al Qaeda militants and members of the Taliban fled into Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal lands from Afghanistan after US-led fores overthrew the Taliban in late 2001.

Pakistan, a major US ally in the war on terrorism, has been trying to clear foreign militants out of the area and pacify their Pakistani allies and hundreds of people have been killed in clashes.

Up to 20 people were killed in a Pakistani military air strike on a militant camp in South Waziristan last month.

Since then, several suicide bombings in different parts of Pakistan have killed more than 40 people and raised fears the conflict is spilling out of the remote border lands.

Reuters SY DB1139