Pakistani Taliban leader suspends peace talks

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud told Reuters on Saturday he was suspending peace talks with the government, as security forces had begun launching an operation against the militant movement.

Security forces mounted a crackdown on militants in the Khyber tribal region near the main northwestern city of Peshawar on Saturday. Mehsud said he suspected operations would be ordered also against Taliban groups elsewhere in the region.

"The talks will remain suspended until the government stops talking about operations and attacks against us," he said by satellite phone from an undisclosed location.

(Reporting by Alamgir Bitani, writing by Zeeshan Haider)