Pakistan militants claim to execute 23 soldiers

Banned outfit Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed to have executed 23 FC personnel in their custody, Pakistan's Geo News reported. In a statement sent to media outlets, the Mohmand Agency Taliban chief Umar Khalid Khurasani said that they killed the FC soldiers on February 16 to avenge what he said was the custodial killing of Taliban fighter in various areas of Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention here that the soldiers were kidnapped in 2010 from Shongari check post in Mohmand Agency. The TTP statement lamented that on the one hand the government has initiated the process of talks while on the other it continuous to target TTP members. "The killing of FC personnel is the revenge for the blood of our associates," it said. "We want to make it clear to the government that we know very well how to avenge the killings of our members," the statement said, warning 'if the government did not change its trend, our reaction will be more severe in future'.