Taliban Group Calls Truce With Pakistan

(CBS/AP)  A coalition of Taliban militants in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday declared an "indefinite" cease-fire in fighting against Pakistani security forces.

Maulvi Mohammed Umar, a purported spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group for militants operating in tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan, said that the cease-fire was declared following talks with the government.

There was no immediate word from the government. The Pakistani army has in recent days denied any cease-fire despite a lull in the fighting that claimed hundreds of lives last month.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was in England Wednesday to discuss the ongoing international effort to stabilize Afghanistan with British leaders. She told reporters on her way to London that the Taliban has "by no means been defeated".

Another Taliban spokesman, Haji Omar, confirmed the cease-fire agreement to CBS News and said militant commanders decided to adopt the stance after noting a decline in offensive operations by Pakistani forces over recent weeks.

"We observed the Pakistan government bring attacks to a low level against us, so we came to a decision to keep ourselves in a solely defensive position... Until the next order we will keep down the barrels of our guns and will not attack, but if the Pakistani army starts any operation, we will take action swiftly," Omar said.

He told CBS News that several cease-fire agreements had been reached with the Pakistanis before, and blamed the government forces for breaching them. Omar said he believed the U.S. government had "pressurized Pakistan to take action against its own people."

A senior Taliban commander, who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, said the latest cease-fire had been brokered during three meetings of tribal elders, clerics and government representatives. He said most of the militants believed the Pakistani forces had sought a halt in fighting because they were finding it hard to cope with the harsh winter weather in the mountainous region along the border with Afghanistan.

Asked whether he would encourage Taliban fighters across the border to seek a similar truce deal with the Afghan security forces, the commander said he would not, "because Afghanistan has been occupied by NATO and U.S. forces."

Both Taliban sources spoke to CBS News via satellite phone from undisclosed locations.

Earlier Wednesday, a Pakistani army helicopter crashed in northwestern Pakistan, killing three generals and five other soldiers, the military said.

The aircraft went down in South Waziristan, a rugged tribal region along the border with Afghanistan, top army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said.

The area has been the scene of intense fighting between Pakistani forces and Islamic militants, but Abbas said initial reports indicated the crash occurred due to "a technical fault in the helicopter."

All the dead were Pakistanis and included Maj. Gen. Javed Sultan, the top military commander for South Waziristan, Abbas said on Pakistan's Aaj TV. A military statement said the other victims included two brigadiers, a lieutenant colonel, three captains and an enlisted man.

Abbas said the helicopter crashed near the road that links Wana, South Waziristan's main town, with Jandola, another town in the area.

Pakistan - a close ally of the U.S. in its war on terrorism - has deployed thousands of troops to South Waziristan, where security forces have fought intense battles with militants in recent weeks.

Security officials have said that Arab, Central Asian and Afghan militants - allegedly linked with al Qaeda and the Taliban - operate in the region.

[beehive21-2009]

No peace with the animals Taliban are losing and need to regroup ,take em down,immediately.Where your BS god ,now,prepare to die.

[libsluvsuvs]

a "truce" for these terrorists means they are cornered and about to get thier arse kicked..and calls out for the liberal masses for help..

[rgmiron]

turkman9 is right. Nothing new. They have proven over and over there word is valueless. They will take the time to regroup and restart all over again. And we will let them.

[turkman9]

Whenever they are pushed back to the wall and they have got nothig left but everything to lose, they always declare Cease Fire unilaterally and their Sympathizers in Pakistan Military start honoring that Cease Fire to let them escape, replenish their Supplies, regroup and re-start all over again. This game has been going on for years now, nothing new.

[winnerindia]

Its a good news. PEace should be everywhere.
Jai Bharat Mata ki Pushtmi
Long live India