The military will withdraw from the Mehsud tribal areas in South Waziristan if the Taliban releases captive soldiers. The government claimed it is negotiating with the tribes, not the Taliban or al Qaeda. Three cars packed with explosives were found in Rawalpindi; four suspects were arrested. The Taliban tortured and killed a paramilitary soldier in Bajaur while security forces killed a Taliban leader. Two police, two civilians, and a Taliban fighter were wounded during a clash in Nowshera.
