The bodies of the Frontier Constabulary personnel were found in Dabori area of Orakzai tribal region this morning, officials said. They had gone missing following a clash with militants on December 21. The bodies were airlifted by a helicopter to Peshawar.
No group claimed responsibility for the killings.
The Express Tribune reported on its website that officials believed the killings were the handiwork of the local chapter of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. At least 22 security personnel, including a major, were injured in the clash at Dabori in Orakzai Agency last month. The security personnel were attacked by a group of about 100 heavily armed Taliban fighters.
In a similar incident, the naked and bullet-riddled bodies of 15 Frontier Constabulary personnel were found in North Waziristan Agency last week. These personnel were killed two weeks after they were abducted from Tank area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The Taliban had claimed responsibility for those killings.
Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said the 15 troopers were killed in retaliation for an operation by security forces in Khyber Agency. Ehsan had warned that the militants would take "harsh revenge" for the killing of Taliban cadres.
Security forces had launched an operation against militants in Orkazai Agency. Helicopter gunships and heavy artillery were used to target militant positions. The operation in Orakzai Agency is led by the Frontier Constabulary.
