Pakistan peace talks with local Taliban stalled after militants claim killing of 23 soldiers

Published January 08, 2015

A member of the Pakistani government committee tasked with negotiating with the Taliban says they have cancelled a scheduled round of talks after claims by militants that they killed 23 soldiers in their captivity.

Irfan Sadiqui said in a statement Monday that there is no point meeting the Taliban's representatives after the killings.

A faction of the Pakistani Taliban announced late Sunday that they had killed the soldiers, who they said had been kidnapped in 2010.

The militants have said they will release a video.

The Pakistani government is trying to negotiate an end to the years of fighting in the country's northwest.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the killings and said they would have a negative effect on the negotiations.

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