Pakistan protests to Afghanistan over security men's killing

, Feb 21:

has lodged strong protest with Afghanistan over the murder of 23 security personnel by Pakistani Taliban on Afghan side of the border, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Pakistani Taliban from Mohmand tribal region claimed to have killed 23 security personnel this week who had been captured in 2010, Xinhua reported. This militant group is believed to have hideouts in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"Pakistan has conveyed its strong protest and serious concern to the Afghan government on the brutal murder of 23 Frontier Corps personnel inside the Afghan territory," the ministry said.

"This protest was conveyed by Mr. Sartaj Aziz, adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs to the Afghan Foreign Minister Zarar Maqbool Osmani today in Male, Maldives where both were attending the SAARC Ministerial meeting," the statement added.

IANS