Nine Taliban Fighters Found Dead In Pakistan's Northwest

December 31, 2012

The bullet-ridden corpses of nine Taliban fighters have been discovered in a northwestern Pakistani tribal region.

Officials said the bodies were found on a roadside near Miranshah, the administrative headquarters of the restive North Waziristan tribal district.

Officials have not identified the dead, but a Taliban spokesman said they were Taliban fighters.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, accused security forces of killing them.

The bodies were discovered a day after authorities found the corpses of 21 tribal policemen.

Officials said the Taliban had claimed responsibility for kidnapping the soldiers.

North Waziristan is one of the seven northwestern tribal districts.

The region is considered a key sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and allied Arab, Central Asian, and Afghan militants.

Based on reporting by AFP and the BBC