LANDI KOTAL, April 4: The Zakhakhel lashkar halted its advances into the Mangal Bagh dominated areas on Monday after Taliban commanders offered to mediate between the two. Sources said that the lashkar had advanced deep into the Sipah area till Sunday evening. In response to the Taliban mediation offer, the Zakhakhel lashkar has reportedly demanded the handing over of LI commander Khan Zakhakhel before any truce.Khan Zakhakhel is heading the execution squad of LI and is accused of beheading his rivals.

Meanwhile, Lashkar-i-Islam chief Mangal Bagh has thrown an olive branch to his renegade comrades and offered to resolve difference through negotiations.

Sources told Dawn that speaking on his FM radio from an undisclosed location, Mangal Bagh asked his former associates to rejoin his ranks but in the same breath warned the rebel commanders of a bloody reprisal if they failed to respond positively to his talks offer.

And while Mangal Bagh authority was waning in Tirah, his armed volunteers kidnapped a dispenser and snatched a motorcycle on gunpoint in Bara. — Correspondent