PAKISTAN - TALEBAN militants in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan say they have pulled out of a peace deal with the government, raising the prospect of wider unrest as the Pakistani army extends its efforts to eliminate insurgents.
The militants in North Waziristan blamed continuing US missile strikes and army offensives against the Taleban for their decision, which was announced in the wake of a Taleban ambush that killed 16 soldiers.
Government leaders and Taleban representatives reached the deal in February 2008, but few details have been released about it.
US officials have criticised peace deals with militants or tribes representing them in the border region, saying they allow the insurgents to gain strength. The agreement in North Waziristan had appeared to keep things relatively peaceful there - calmer than in neigbouring South Waziristan, where the army is preparing for a major offensive aimed at Pakistani Taleban chief Baitullah Mehsud.
The deal was struck with a Taleban faction led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur.
Various militant groups operate under the Taleban banner in Pakistan, but do not always see eye to eye. The ending of the peace deal could be a sign of greater unity in the face of a common enemy now that the Pakistani military has stepped up its operations against insurgents.
On Monday, army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the weekend ambush was unprovoked and warned the government reserved the right to retaliate, specifically against tribes that harbour militants.
The US has frequently launched missile strikes in North and South Waziristan, attacks American officials say have killed several top Al-Qaeda fighters. Pakistan publicly protests the strikes as violations of its sovereignty, though many observers suspect the two countries have a secret deal allowing the strikes.
Pakistan's armed forces are gearing up for a major military offensive in South Waziristan, a hotbed for Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters. The region is the main base for Mehsud, who is blamed in numerous suicide attacks in the country and has been accused in the killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. -- AP
