Pakistan launches anti-Taliban crackdown

Pakistan increased security in the historic city of Peshawar, as security forces launched an offensive against Taliban fighters. It prompted a militant commander to suspend peace talks and threaten country-wide retaliation.

The crackdown followed a series of sorties by Taliban fighters into Peshawar to intimidate people into observing their puritanical interpretation of Islamic law. In Peshawar, paramilitary soldiers set up bunkers and patrolled the streets in vehicles mounted with machine guns.

Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud telephoned a Reuters correspondent to declare that he was suspending peace talks with the government, until the government stops talking about operations and attacks against them.