Militants frequently kidnap and kill tribesmen, accusing them of spying for the Pakistani government or US forces in Afghanistan. - File Photo

MIRANSHAH: Taliban militants killed two men in Pakistan's restive tribal district after accusing them of spying for the United States, police officials said Sunday.

The bodies were found on road sides, one hacked into pieces, in the Nawi Adda and Boya areas of the Datta Khel region in North Waziristan, a remote tribal district bordering Afghanistan.

They were local tribesmen who had been captured after two separate US drone attacks in the region on Thursday and Friday, the officials said.

“A charred body of local tribesman was found dumped on the road side in Nawi Adda area on Sunday morning with a note in Pashto language,” said local tribal police official Jalaluddin -- who goes by one name.

The second body, which had been cut into pieces was found in Boya area, another local police official, Habibullah Kahn said.

Local intelligence officials also confirmed the incidents adding that the bodies were found with notes warning “all those spying for US will suffer the same fate.”

Islamic extremists frequently kidnap and kill tribesmen, accusing them of spying for the Pakistani government or US forces in Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters are leading an insurgency.

The US has branded the northwestern tribal area, which lies outside Pakistani government control, one of the most dangerous places on earth and a global headquarters of al Qaeda -- whose leader Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in Pakistan on May 2.

The majority of militants are concentrated in North Waziristan, the most notorious hideout of the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda, and where the United States wants the Pakistan military to launch a ground offensive.

But Pakistan says its troops are too overstretched to conduct a full assault.

Opinion

Editorial

IMF’s projections
Updated 18 Apr, 2024

IMF’s projections

The problems are well-known and the country is aware of what is needed to stabilise the economy; the challenge is follow-through and implementation.
Hepatitis crisis
18 Apr, 2024

Hepatitis crisis

THE sheer scale of the crisis is staggering. A new WHO report flags Pakistan as the country with the highest number...
Never-ending suffering
18 Apr, 2024

Never-ending suffering

OVER the weekend, the world witnessed an intense spectacle when Iran launched its drone-and-missile barrage against...
Saudi FM’s visit
Updated 17 Apr, 2024

Saudi FM’s visit

The government of Shehbaz Sharif will have to manage a delicate balancing act with Pakistan’s traditional Saudi allies and its Iranian neighbours.
Dharna inquiry
17 Apr, 2024

Dharna inquiry

THE Supreme Court-sanctioned inquiry into the infamous Faizabad dharna of 2017 has turned out to be a damp squib. A...
Future energy
17 Apr, 2024

Future energy

PRIME MINISTER Shehbaz Sharif’s recent directive to the energy sector to curtail Pakistan’s staggering $27bn oil...