Pak protests over killing of 23 troops in Afghan territory

Pakistan today protested to Afghanistan over the execution of 23 paramilitary personnel by the Taliban in Afghan territory, a development that led to the suspension of peace talks with the banned militant group.
Pakistan lodged a strong protest and expressed serious concern to the Afghan government on the brutal murder of the Frontier Corps personnel inside Afghanistan.
"This protest was conveyed by Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, to Afghan Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani today in Male, Maldives where both were attending the SAARC ministerial meeting," said a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office.

Aziz reminded Osmani that at the recent trilateral summit of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey in Ankara, it was agreed that Islamabad and Kabul would prevent the use of their territory against each other and take action against militants engaged in hostile action.
He urged the Afghan government to take prompt action to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the "heinous and inhumane crime", the statement said.
Osmani promised to convey Pakistan's message of concern to authorities in Afghanistan and revert shortly, it said.

A faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Mohmand tribal region claimed on Sunday it had killed the 23 security personnel who were abducted in 2010.

Soon after news emerged about the killing of the troops, the Pakistan government suspended a fledgling peace process with the Taliban. Since last night, Pakistani combat jets have targeted militant bases in the tribal belt, killing at least 40 terrorists.
Media reports earlier said Omar Khalid Khurasani, head of the faction in Mohmand Agency that is known as the most rigid and extremist, was in Afghanistan and all the kidnapped troops were killed in the neighbouring country.
The News daily had quoted its sources as saying that the troops were killed in stages, most of them last month, in Afghanistan.