MIRAMSHAH/TANK, Sept 19: While a tribal jirga continued talks with militants for the release of more that 250 soldiers held hostage in the South Waziristan Agency, 13 more paramilitary soldiers were reported to be missing in North Waziristan on Tuesday night.

Official sources said that six soldiers of the Shawal Rifles deserted their force and refused to take orders in the Razmak subdivision of North Waziristan on Tuesday night. The soldiers were deployed in an area adjacent to Shawal where militants killed 15 personnel on Monday.

In another incident, militants attacked a security forces’ camp in Bilendkhel area of Shewa tehsil, and forced seven paramilitary soldiers to lay down their arms. Sources said that after an exchange of fire, the militants took away the seven personnel along with their weapons.

Security forces and militants also clashed near Jaler Post and Banda Post. Residential areas in Banda also came under attack, leaving a teenager injured.

Meanwhile, talks remained between tribal elders and militants for the release of more than 250 soldiers did not yield any result on Wednesday, said a member of the jirga. The talks were held in the Maulvi Khan Sarai area in Serwakai tehsil of South Waziristan.

Jirga member Maulana Assamuddin told Dawn on the phone that the militants had set a major precondition for the release of hostages and were demanding release of their 20 comrades who were in government custody.

Baitullah Mehsud’s group had kidnapped the personnel, including a colonel and eight other officers, on Aug 30 when a convoy was going from Wana to Laddah.

Sources said that tribal elders were expecting the release of about 100 soldiers on Wednesday after the militants’ demand about withdrawal of forces from two strategic locations in Berwand and Tiarza areas had been met on Tuesday night.