WANA, Oct 13: A group of Mehsud tribesmen trying to secure the release of two Chinese engineers kidnapped by militants expressed its inability on Wednesday to get the hostages freed through negotiations and told the authorities that that were now free to use whatever means they deemed fit to achieve the objective.

The Mehsud elders who had gathered at the political agent's compound in Tank to discuss the situation made the announcement after refusal by militant commander Abdullah Mehsud to meet them and release the hostages.

The Chinese engineers, along with two Pakistanis, were kidnapped on Saturday when they were on their way to work at the under-construction Gomal Zam Dam, and have since been detained by Abdullah's five men in a remote and isolated small mud-house in Changmalai in the volatile South Waziristan tribal region.

Earlier, a 21-member mediation committee which had stayed behind in Spinkay Raghzai, informed a tribal jirga about its failure to persuade the 29-year-old militant commander to release the engineers.

According to one member of the committee, the one-legged commander offered to release the two Pakistani captives, constable Asamtullah and driver Shabaan, but said he would not negotiate the fate of the Chinese until they and their five kidnappers were allowed to come to him. But the authorities said that they were primarily interested in the release of the Chinese.

"We know that they would have to release the Pakistanis anyway. It is the Chinese he wants to hold on to in order to bargain over with the government," said one senior official. But some tribal negotiators who had met Abdullah said he did not Appear to be softening his stand. "He is a tough negotiator", said a member of the mediating committee.

"He is unpredictable and was not at all flexible," the member told Dawn by phone from Tank. "He is interested in keeping the two Chinese, obviously to gain leverage with the government and put up demands," the member said. The negotiations lasted about two and a half hours, from 7.30 pm till 10 pm, the source said.

The jirga after hearing out the committee, conveyed to the government their inability to do anything to secure the release of the Chinese hostages. However, the jirga, on government's persuasion, decided to make 'one last effort' and send another team of negotiators that would included Abdullah's brother, who is a serving officer in the Pakistan army, Major Asghar and his cousin Major (retd) Murad.

"This is our last try," said a tribal leader. "We will then leave things to the government to do whatever it feels is right", he said. "We have acknowledged that we have tried and could not get anything from this man and that there is nothing left for us to do.

If others can come and negotiate a solution they are welcome. We have failed." He said that Abdullah and a group of his close relatives had until Thursday morning to resolve the issue. A senior security official said that the team was expected to deliver Abdullah's reply to this seemingly last overture by 10 am.

"We have several options to proceed," he said. But despite Abdullah's intransigence and the tribe's helplessness, authorities continue to remain optimistic. "We have channels of communication open. We are in contact and we hope to be able to get the hostages released safely", one official said.