ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani security forces killed 20 Pakistani Taliban insurgents in raids on hideouts in the northwest region bordering Afghanistan, the military said Monday, as tensions between the two countries escalated.

Pakistan and Afghanistan blamed each other for the collapse of a third round of peace talks in Istanbul over the weekend. The negotiations, facilitated by Qatar and Turkey, began last month following deadly border clashes that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides.

Pakistan's military described the slain militants as “Khwarij,” a term the government uses for the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the United Nations.

The group is separate from but allied with the Af

See Full Page