Militants vow joint Afghan raids

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Two militant groups based in the Waziristan region of Pakistan say they will co-ordinate attacks against coalition forces inside Afghanistan.

There are frequent reports of cross-border raids by the groups, who are led by commanders from the Wazir tribe.

Both the groups have had peace deals with Pakistan's government since 2007.

Their decision to liaise comes amid assertions by the government that it will act more firmly against Pakistani groups fighting in Afghanistan.

The government launched an operation against some local Islamist groups in nearby Khyber tribal district on Saturday, but has yet to move against hardcore militants.

Earlier this year, Pakistan's new government began talks with militants across the north-west in an attempt to end violence in the area.

The purpose of this union is to boost the holy war against the infidels Mufti Abu Haroon, Militant spokesman

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher on Monday, however, that the government would not negotiate peace with militants until they had laid down arms.

"We will never negotiate with militants, or allow foreigners to use our soil against another country," the media quoted him as telling Mr Boucher.

Nato, the US and the Afghan government are all highly critical of the Pakistani government's negotiations with militants and say cross-border attacks have risen sharply this year.

'Holy war'

The two militant groups who have agreed to work more closely together are led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur in the North Waziristan tribal region and Mullah Nazir who is based in South Waziristan.

The consultative committees of the two groups decided to conduct joint attacks against coalition troops in a meeting held on Monday in the North Waziristan town of Miranshah, Mullah Nazir confirmed to the BBC Urdu service.

"The purpose of this union is to boost the holy war against the infidels," a spokesman, Mufti Abu Haroon, told the BBC.

Both groups oppose the presence of Central Asian militants in their areas, but their policy towards Arab fighters has remained vague.

Mullah Nazir shot to prominence in March 2007 when he led a Wazir tribal force to evict Central Asian militants from the Wana region of South Waziristan.

His campaign was backed by Pakistani troops based in the region.

The government also entered an accord with the North Waziristan militants led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur following clashes between them and the security forces in the summer of 2007.

Both groups publicly admit to fighting inside Afghanistan.

Troops freed

Meanwhile, officials say that tribesmen in the Kurram region of north-west Pakistan had released 44 troops they had been holding as hostages since Monday.

The troops were being held by a mainly Shia tribe in the Upper Kurram Valley to press their demand for the reopening of a road that had been blockaded because of clashes between the tribesmen and Sunni tribesmen who live in surrounding regions.

In a separate development, militants in the Khyber district to the north of Kurram say that they have released 11 local tribal policemen, or khasadars, who were kidnapped on 23 June.