'US spy' beheaded in Pakistan
2006-06-14 08:37
Miran Shah - Suspected pro-Taliban militants beheaded an Afghan man and dumped his body in a farm field in north-western Pakistan on Wednesday after accusing him of spying for the United States, officials and a local resident said.
The decapitated body of the man - who was from eastern Afghanistan's Khost province - was found in Dhabi village near Miran Shah, the main town in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region, said an area security official.
The official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media, identified the victim as Asim Khan and said he had been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen three days ago.
The official gave no further details, but a local resident, Salim Ullah, said he saw a letter near the man's body which said "anyone spying for Americans will face the same fate".
Although militants often kill tribesmen suspected of working for Pakistani and US security forces in North Waziristan, authorities have so far not been able to capture any of those responsible.
Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terror and has deployed about 80 000 soldiers in tribal areas to flush out foreign militants and their local supporters, who often target troops with rockets and other munitions.
The region has also been the scene of scores of military operations against militants after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and authorities say they have killed and captured hundreds of foreign suspects, including some key al-Qaeda operatives.
- AP