Pakistani troops found 'executed'
Aljazeera
Saturday 27 March 2004, 15:32 Makka Time, 12:32 GMT
Eight Pakistani soldiers have been found executed a few days after being taken hostage during fighting with alleged al-Qaida fighters and their tribal allies near the border with Afghanistan. The soldiers, their hands tied behind their backs and apparently shot at close range, were found on Friday near Wana, the capital of the South Waziristan area in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal territories.
They were likely killed shortly after their convoy was ambushed on Monday, a Pakistan army official said. Scores of people have been killed since last week when paramilitary forces hunting fighters allegedly linked to Usama bin Ladin ran into a hail of bullets as they approached a suspect's house in the rugged South Waziristan region.
The battle, involving 5000 troops, is Pakistan's biggest ever in the region. The executed troops are separate to a group of 14 soldiers and officials thought to have been kidnapped at the start of the clashes. Tribal elders had been trying for days to persuade the fighters to release the men and surrender.
President Pervez Musharraf's government announced on Thursday more troops would be sent to the tribal territories bordering Afghanistan to reinforce a campaign to root out al-Qaida fighters and their Pakistani tribal allies.
Some reports put the number of Pakistani troop deaths in the operation at over 100 and observers have called it a disaster for Musharraf who came to power in a military coup in 1999.
posted by Richard at
Saturday, March 27, 2004
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