Miran Shah/Tank, 20 Sept. (AKI/DAWN) - While a tribal jirga continued talks with pro-Taliban militants for the release of more that 250 soldiers held hostage in the tribal area of South Waziristan, 13 more paramilitary soldiers have been reported missing in North Waziristan.

Official sources said that six soldiers of the Shawal Rifles paramilitary force deserted their unit and refused to take orders in North Waziristan on Tuesday night. The soldiers were deployed in an area adjacent to Shawal where militants killed 15 personnel on Monday.

In another incident, militants attacked a military camp in North Waziristan and forced seven paramilitary soldiers to lay down their arms. Sources said that after an exchange of fire, the militants took away the seven paras along with their weapons.

Meanwhile, talks continued between tribal elders and pro-Taliban militants for the release of more than 250 soldiers held hostage in South Waziristan did not yield any result on Wednesday, said a member of the jirga.

Jirga member Maulana Assamuddin told the Pakistani daily Dawn that the militants had set a major precondition for the release of hostages and were demanding the release of 20 of their men who were in government custody.

The group led by militant commander, Baitullah Mehsud, had kidnapped the security personnel, including a colonel and eight other officers, on 30 August when a convoy was going from Wana to Laddah in South Waziristan.

Sources said that tribal elders were expecting the release of about 100 soldiers on Wednesday after the militants’ demand concerning the withdrawal of forces from two strategic locations had been met on Tuesday night.