Fighting slows amid negotiations

WANA, Pakistan -- Fighting between Pakistani troops and suspected al Qaeda militants ebbed Sunday as tribal elders said they would try to negotiate an end to the largest battle yet, against suspected terrorists along the Afghan frontier.\nA 25-member council is to begin talks with the militants Monday morning under the protection of a white flag, said Brig. Mahmood Shah, chief of security for the tribal area in South Waziristan province.\nPakistani forces took advantage of Sunday's pause in fighting to search nearby homes. The military believes a "high-value" target is holed up in the besieged area, but it is uncertain if it is al Qaeda commander Ayman al-Zawahri, Uzbek militant Tahir Yuldash, or another terrorist.\nSome 5,000 to 6,000 Pakistani forces are fighting 400 to 500 foreign militants and Yargul Khel tribesmen. Shah speculated the shooting had abated because the militants were conserving ammunition.\n"They may be facing a shortage of ammunition. Heavy firing has almost entirely stopped and they are only using light weapons," he said.\nShah said two Chechens were killed trying to break through a military cordon Sunday. The military has arrested more than 100 suspects but has refused to give updates of casualties.\nIn neighboring Afghanistan, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told The Associated Press the United States was "very encouraged" by the ongoing Pakistani offensive. He said senior Taliban and al Qaeda leaders were plotting attacks on Afghan and U.S. targets from Pakistan.\n"We know several key Taliban figures are there, and there is some sense that some of the remaining al Qaeda leaders are in the border area on the other side," Khalilzad said.