Pakistani Taliban pulling out of captured town

Peshawar: Pakistani Taliban militants began withdrawing from a northwestern town on Tuesday after capturing it in a bloody clash with rivals, officials said.

Militants loyal to notorious Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud seized the town of Jandola on the main road into the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Monday.

At least a dozen people were killed in fighting that follows government attempts to end militant-led violence through negotiations.

"The situation has improved. There has been no untoward incident today and they're moving out," said Barkatullah Marwat, the top government officer in the region.

A security official said the militants were pulling out after a government threat to launch an offensive against them.