PESHAWAR: The government has started back-channel contacts with Taliban commanders in North Waziristan as part of an attempt to isolate insurgents of the Baitullah group before launching a full-scale military operation in South Waziristan.

Well-placed sources said that a jirga comprising more than 20 tribal elders arrived in the provincial capital on Monday evening for talks with civilian and military leadership. Jirga members led by Malik Inayet Khan and Maulvi Gul Ramazan are staying in a local hotel.

The sources said that back-channel contacts between the government and hardline Taliban commanders in the region, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Sadiq Noor, had started before Ramazan when they announced a unilateral ceasefire and halted attacks on troops in the region.

While the visit of the tribal elders has been kept a well-guarded secret, a notable from North Waziristan confirmed the visit and said that the influential tribal members had been negotiating between the two parties.

‘The talks have been in progress for many weeks. For the same reason the ceasefire announced by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Maulvi Sadiq Noor group has been extended for an indefinite period after the expiry of an earlier deadline of Oct 3,’ he said.

Sources close to the elders said that formal talks would begin in Peshawar on Tuesday.

These two Taliban leaders are members of the Shura-i-Ittehad-i-Mujahideen, an alliance of Taliban groups, which also included the former TTP Chief Baitullah Mehsud.

The last agreement between the Taliban of North Waziristan and the government was inked on Feb 17, 2007. However, due to frequent US drone attacks the Taliban pulled out of the agreement on June 29 and resumed attacks on security forces.

After scrapping the deal with the government, the group of Gul Bahadur launched attacks on security forces in Waziristan and Bannu district. The worst attack was an ambush on a military convoy which left 22 soldiers dead.

The tribal elders have held extensive talks with Taliban commanders in North Waziristan and would convey their demands to the government.

According to the sources, the Gul Bahadur group was demanding an end to drone attacks and withdrawal of troops from the area.

‘It is very premature to say about the success of negotiations at this stage. For the time being both parties are showing flexibility,’ one source said.

He said the major concern of the government was frequent infiltration by Taliban of the Gul Bahadur group into Afghanistan which was disturbing Nato forces.