17 Pakistani soldiers beheaded by Taliban, video released

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Wed, Jun 27) – A video has been released today by Taliban militants showing the 17 beheaded Pakistani soldiers, who were reportedly killed during an attack on Pakistan check post on Sunday in Upper Dir area. 

17 Pakistani soldiers beheaded by Taliban, video released

A senior security official told media on Wednesday that a total of 17 soldiers were targeted by the militants who attacked from the eastern Afghan province of Kunar.

“Six troops were killed on the first day, and then another seven were slaughtered the next day,” the official said.

“Four were missing and now they have also been beheaded,” he said. 

The footage made by the Taliban’s media wing shows 17 detached heads of soldiers placed on a white sheet while men in masks stood in the background armed with assault rifles captured from the soldiers.

Local security officials confirmed that all the victims were Pakistani soldiers.

“God has given us a great victory, we have killed them all. Four of the  heads you can see are from Frontier Corps (paramilitary force), the rest are  from the army,” an unseen commentator said in the video.

The army said more than 100 militants “from a safe haven across the border”  attacked troops on patrol. It claimed to have killed 14 militants.

The army “has strongly protested with their counterparts across the border  for not taking action against miscreants present in safe havens in  Afghanistan”, a military official said.

The foreign ministry summoned the deputy head of the Afghan mission to  lodge a formal protest against “the intrusion of militants from the Afghan side  into Pakistani territory”, officials said.

The Afghan diplomat was informed that “the government of Afghanistan should  take appropriate measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the  future”, it said.

Pakistani troops have for years been fighting local Taliban but have  resisted US pressure to carry out a sweeping offensive against Afghan Taliban  fighters in its North Waziristan tribal area.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have long blamed each other for Taliban violence  plaguing both sides of their porous, mountainous border.

Pakistan says rebels have regrouped in eastern Afghanistan. Afghan and US  officials want Pakistan to eliminate Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked havens used to  launch attacks in Afghanistan.