Bodies of insurgents returned to Pakistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Twenty-four Islamic insurgents killed in a clash near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border will reportedly be buried as martyrs in Pakistan.

As many as 150 Taliban-backed rebels died in the battle with NATO and Afghan army forces Wednesday, NATO officials told Saturday's Washington Post.

The battle reinforced a long-standing suspicion that Pakistan's border regions are a haven for Islamic rebel groups, the Post said.

The 24 funerals were reportedly scheduled to take place in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan, an area Afghan and NATO officials say insurgents use to cross the border.

Taliban leaders have asked that the dead be honored as martyrs.