Taliban kills 16 Pakistani militiamen

HANGU, Pakistan, July 13 (UPI) -- Sixteen pro-government paramilitary fighters were killed by Taliban forces in Pakistan's restive North West Frontier Province, media reports said Sunday.

Pakistan's Dawn News Channel reported eight of the fighters were killed Saturday in a gun battle in the province's Hangu area while another eight were allegedly executed by a Taliban firing squad, the Press Trust of India reported. The dead were members of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary.

The Taliban reportedly refused to hand over the bodies of the slain militiamen until a funeral could be conducted for their own dead. The militant group has 29 other hostages, identified as Frontier Constabulary security forces.

Tensions between militants and security forces are high following the Thursday arrest of a Taliban leader believed to be a deputy of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, PTI said.