Taleban kill 'spies' over US raid

By Abdul Hai Kakar
BBC Urdu service

Profile: Abu Laith al-Libi

The Taleban in Pakistan have killed five men after a "trial" found them guilty of providing information that led to a top al-Qaeda leader's death.

Abu Laith al-Libi was killed along with 11 others in a suspected US missile strike on 19 January in Pakistan's tribal region of North Waziristan.

The US has targeted Pakistan's tribal areas, said to be a safe haven for the Taleban and al-Qaeda, with missiles.

The Taleban say the US is aided by the Pakistan government and local "spies".

'Protest'

The Taleban quoted one of the men killed, Pir Mal, as saying in his "confessional" statement: "We planted the homing device in the house in which al-Libi and his men were to spend the night."

He is seen repeating the statement in a video sent by the Taleban to the BBC Urdu service.

Pir Mal also says he was acting under the leadership of Feroz Khan, who took his directions from Pakistan army officials.

The video also contains the confessions of the other four men, all locals from the tribal areas, and their subsequent death by decapitation.

Local authorities in North Waziristan confirmed the men's bodies had been found.

The video also showed the men saying that the "mujahideen" had full knowledge of "spies" in the region and that they would be dealt with strictly.

A Pakistani army spokesman denied the men were in any way connected with the military.

He said that the US missile strikes in the area were carried out without the permission of the Pakistani authorities, who had protested to the Americans on the issue several times.