Wana, 20 August (AKI/DAWN) - Pro-Taliban militants in Pakistan have agreed to unconditionally release 15 paramilitary personnel who were kidnapped in the Spinkai Raghzai area of South Waziristan tribal area 10 days ago, according to a tribal negotiator.

Pakistani parliamentarian Maulvi Mirajuddin, the chief of a 21-member jirga of gathering of tribal elders, said that the pro-Taliban militants had assured them that the 15 personnel of Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) would be freed.

He said the men would be freed in phases and the first batch was likely to be handed over to the jirga in three days.

The militants had kidnapped 16 personnel from the area dominated by the Mehsud tribe on 9 August and one them was later found dead. No group had claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Mirajuddin told Pakistani daily Dawn that talks between the jirga and the militants had been successful and the jirga had been assured of the FC personnel’s unconditional release.

He said the talks were held in Eija Raghzai area, adding that the soldiers were in good health.

Officials said that the jirga had persuaded militants to vacate their positions on hilltops and subsequently the road between the tribal towns of Wana and Tank was opened.

The area's assistant political officer (the Pakistan's government's representative in the tribal region) Khaista Rehman said that army convoys stranded in bases in Jandola and Sarwakai areas were now safely passing through the area.