Pakistani fighter jets bomb hideouts, kill 15 militants

Pakistan military said Thursday that fighter jets have bombed hideouts of militants in the North Waziristan tribal region and killed 15 of them. The latest military action followed a deadlock in peace dialogue between the government and the Taliban intermediaries. A government committee refused to hold more talks with the Taliban mediators after the Taliban killed 23 hostage security personnel in the Mohmand tribal region on Sunday. The Taliban had kidnapped the security men in 2010. The Taliban said the security men were killed as revenge to the alleged "custodial killings" of their detainees by the security officials. "Air strikes were carried out late night in Mir Ali in the North Waziristan tribal agency to target militants' hideouts with precision," military sources said on Thursday. "There are confirmed reports that 15 militants including foreigners have been killed in these strikes. A huge cache of arms and ammunition have also been destroyed," the sources said. There was no independent confirmation of the casualties as journalists are not allowed to the area. The Taliban have not commented on the military strikes. Hours before the military action, the Taliban offered conditional ceasefire that the government should stop "arrests and custodial killings" of Taliban members. It is the second time in a month security forces have launched operation in the same region. On Jan. 20, fighter jets targeted positions of the suspected militants and the army claimed killing of 40 militants including Uzbeks and three German nationals. It was not clear as to what prompted the latest military action however the killing of 23 security men and some other recent attacks proved to be a serious setback for the peace dialogue. Spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Shahidullah Shahid, told the media on Wednesday that the Taliban would declare a ceasefire if the government assures their intermediaries not to " kill their prisoners." The security sources have denied the Taliban claim of "extra- judicial" killing of Taliban detainees.