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Taleban 'kill spies' in Pakistan Pakistani troops 'held hostage'
(about 3 hours later)
Taleban militants have killed three people after accusing them of spying in a troubled tribal area along the Afghan border, officials and witnesses said. Nearly 150 Pakistani troops have been surrounded by militants in a tribal area on the Afghan border after clashes, an official told BBC Urdu.
Two men were beheaded and a third was shot dead in Bajaur. Their bodies were found on a road with notes saying they were spying on the Taleban. Some 200 troops took Loi Sam town in Bajaur region on Thursday after clashes with the insurgents. Seven soldiers have been killed, the army says.
In the last 48 hours, at least five troops and 25 pro-Taleban militants have died in clashes in the area. The insurgents claim that they have taken around 20 soldiers hostage. The army has denied this.
Talks between Pakistan's new government and Taleban leaders broke down in June.Talks between Pakistan's new government and Taleban leaders broke down in June.
Security has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks along the frontier.Security has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks along the frontier.
Heavy fighting
One soldier told the BBC Urdu service that a number of soldiers had been taken hostage by the Taleban insurgents.
"One of my men was killed on the spot when the Taleban attacked us, while four went missing. The rest of us laid down our arms and were captured," a man who identified himself as Subedar Ghausuddin over the phone told the BBC Urdu service.
Witnesses say several bodies of soldiers and militants are lying around on the main streets of Loi Sam. Neither side has been able to recover them due to the heavy fighting going on in the area.
Artillery guns positioned in a paramilitary camp in Khar, the headquarters of Bajaur, continue to pound militant positions around Loi Sam.
A Taleban spokesman has claimed that more than 60 soldiers have been killed in three days of fighting.
He said four insurgents have died in the clashes.
A defence spokesman, Major Murad, told the BBC news website that seven soldiers had been killed and five others injured in the fighting.
He said at least 30 militants have been killed.
Clashes erupted when troops reoccupied a border post
Separately, Taleban militants have killed three people after accusing them of spying in Bajaur, officials and witnesses said.
Two men were beheaded and a third was shot dead. Their bodies were found on a road with notes saying they were spying on the Taleban.
A Bajaur official told the AFP news agency that the bodies of three men were found on a road in Kayrala village with notes saying: "These men were spying on Taleban movement fighters."A Bajaur official told the AFP news agency that the bodies of three men were found on a road in Kayrala village with notes saying: "These men were spying on Taleban movement fighters."
Residents said a Taleban leader in Bajaur, Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, had warned locals over the radio not to leave the area. He said anyone found to have passed any information about Taleban to the government would be beheaded. Residents said a Taleban leader in Bajaur, Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, had warned locals over the radio not to leave the area.
On Thursday, a Taleban spokesman told the BBC militants had killed 22 members of the security forces and kidnapped another 17 in the Federally Administered Tribal Area. He said anyone found to have passed any information about Taleban to the government would be beheaded.
Maj Murad Khan told the BBC five Pakistani troops had been killed but an unnamed security official told AFP news agency that 10 soldiers had died. On Thursday, a Taleban spokesman told the BBC that militants had killed 22 members of the security forces and kidnapped another 17 in the Federally Administered Tribal Area.
There is mounting pressure on the Pakistani government from the US to crack down on fighters using the lawless tribal regions to launch cross-border raids into Afghanistan to target coalition forces.There is mounting pressure on the Pakistani government from the US to crack down on fighters using the lawless tribal regions to launch cross-border raids into Afghanistan to target coalition forces.