A grand jirga of Mehsud tribes left on Friday for an undisclosed location in South Waziristan to discuss the “kidnapping” of more than 100 soldiers with the Taliban, as security forces launched a crackdown and arrested dozens of Mehsud tribesmen, officials said. “We are leaving for a meeting with the Taliban after a briefing by government officials,” key tribal negotiator Senator Saleh Shah told Daily Times moments after he and several other elders emerged from a meeting with South Waziristan Political Agent Hussainzada Khan. Military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said the troops could not reach their base because of a “standoff” between two tribes. “They are neither kidnapped nor missing. They are stranded,” he told Daily Times by phone. Militant commander Baitullah Mehsud said he was holding the soldiers but gave no details. “There are 72 FC paramilitary jawans and eight army officers among the kidnapped soldiers,” security sources said.
A tribal source in Ladah said that Taliban militants had split the soldiers in small groups and were holding them at different places. Meanwhile, reports said that security forces have arrested dozens of Mehsud tribesmen from various locations. |