13 bodies found in South Waziristan

PESHAWAR:

At least 13 bullet-riddled bodies of suspected militants were found in the Mandaow area of Shaktoi in South Waziristan on Saturday. The men were shot dead and their bodies dumped in an unpopulated area.

Officials confirmed retrieving the bodies from the Ladha tehsil but were tight-lipped about the identity of the victims. Tribal sources claimed the slain men were from the Mehsud tribe and had gone missing about a month ago from different areas of the North Waziristan Agency.

No one has claimed responsibility for killing the men, who were believed to be linked with militant groups. Residents of the agency said the victims belonged to the Abakhel branch of the Mehsud tribe of South Waziristan.

Since the death of then Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in a US drone strike on November 1, 2013, a large number of militants have fallen victim to internal hostilities and clashes among rival factions. Officials and tribesmen confirm hostilities have flared among the armed groups recently.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2015.