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Abducted Pakistani men found dead Abducted Pakistani men found dead
(about 1 hour later)
Authorities in Pakistan say they have found 22 bodies of tribal elders who were kidnapped by the local Taleban on Monday. Authorities in north-west Pakistan say they have found bodies of 22 tribesmen who were kidnapped by the local Taleban on Monday.
The bodies were found in Jandola town in South Waziristan district. The men were abducted from Jandola town in South Waziristan district by militants loyal to Pakistan's top Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
The men were kidnapped by militants loyal to Pakistan's top Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud. The men belonged to Bhittani tribe and were considered friendly to the government, officials said.
The militants overran Jandola, located in the south-eastern tip of the region, after clashes with the Bhittani tribe who are friendly to the government. Taleban militants had overran Jandola and abducted at least 30 tribesmen.
Jandola is an important garrison town in the area, where the Taleban have a strong presence.Jandola is an important garrison town in the area, where the Taleban have a strong presence.
The clashes between the two groups erupted on Monday and left at least 12 people dead, including eight militants, two women and two children.
'Bullet-riddled bodies'
The head of Jandola administration, Barkatullah, told the BBC that 22 of the 30 members of the pro-government group who were kidnapped on Monday have been killed by their captors.
"The villagers found their bullet-riddled bodies dumped in a ravine in Jandola region," he said.
The militants have now pulled out of the town, fearing reprisal attacks by the military, he added.
The dead include fighters of the Niamatkhel branch of Bhittani tribe that dominates Jandola tribal territory and the neighbouring Tank region of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
It has the backing of the government forces, and has been challenging the influence of Baitullah Mehsud's fighters in the area.
Some observers say the Bhittanis cooperated with the army against the Mehsuds, and the Taleban attack on Jandola was in revenge.
But one security official said the trigger was more specific - he said the Bhittanis were stopping Mehsud's vehicles passing through their territory, and insisting that even the women be checked - a taboo in the deeply conservative tribal culture, reports the BBC's Barbara Plett from Islamabad.
The army has a base in Jandola and moved troops into offensive positions during the fighting.
But the Mehsuds have since withdrawn and the incident is not expected to affect ongoing peace talks between the government and the tribe, our correspondent says.
A joint jirga, or tribal council, of the two tribes, constituted by the administration on Tuesday, "is talking to both groups in order to prevent further escalation", Mr Barkatullah said.
Meanwhile, security forces continue to block the main road connecting the region with the rest of the country, officials and witnesses say.
The road was closed to traffic on Tuesday in the wake of Jandola's fall to pro-Mehsud militants.
It is meant to put pressure on Baitullah Mehsud group and to keep the field clear for an operation if hostilities escalate, security officials said.