Taliban dynamite two 'spies' in Pakistan

[sonicboom]

Taliban dynamite two 'spies' in Pakistan

July 17, 2010 - 1:19AM

AFP

Taliban militants in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt on Friday executed two men by strapping explosives to their bodies after accusing them of spying, security officials said.

The public execution took place in a village near Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan which sits on the Afghan border, after the men were accused of spying for the US.

"Taliban militants strapped explosive material to their bodies and blew them up publicly," a local administrative official in Miranshah said, asking to remain anonymous.

It is the second such incident in the same village. In a similar execution on May 21 Taliban blew up two men, according to security officials.

In the lawless tribal belt the Taliban is known to shoot or behead local tribesmen they accuse of spying for US or Pakistan.

Two local intelligence officials also confirmed Friday's execution saying the Taliban kidnapped the two men 10 days ago.

Washington considers the Afghan-Pakistani border areas a global headquarters of al-Qaeda, where success in rooting out Islamist militants is vital if the US is to reverse a near nine-year Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

Taliban dynamite two 'spies' in Pakistan