PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 14 (UPI) -- Foreign militants hiding in Pakistan's tribal area Friday backed out of a commitment to pledge not to wage war against Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities have now asked local tribal chiefs to enforce the deal reached Wednesday and have threatened a punitive action if the deal fails.
Hundreds of foreign fighters - mainly Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens and Afghans - settled in Pakistan's South Waziristan during the 1979-89 Afghan war. Many also came after the collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in December 2001 to escape U.S. troops and their Afghan allies.
U.S. and Pakistani officials believe that many among those who came after 2001 are linked to Taliban and al-Qaida terror networks.
In March, Pakistan conducted a major military operation in this area to flush out foreign fighters. The operation was halted after 100 people, including 43 Pakistani troops, were killed.
The Pakistani military, however, failed to uproot the militants.
After weeks of talks, the foreign fighters agreed Wednesday to register themselves with Pakistani authorities and to sign a declaration pledging not to fight Afghanistan or Pakistan.
The deadline for signing the pledge expired Friday evening but the suspects failed to show up.
