Pakistan has announced a reward of $600,000 for the capture, dead or alive, of Hakimullah Mehsud, the leader of the country's Taliban.

Rewards also were announced for 18 other leaders of the Taliban, blamed for recent terror attacks in major Pakistani cities as the military conducts its counterinsurgency in South Waziristan.

A $600,000 reward also was posted for senior Taliban leaders Wali ur-Rehman Mehsud and Qari Hussain Mehsud. Lesser rewards were posted for other leaders, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The announcement appeared on the front pages of some newspapers and was also broadcast on television.

"Anyone who captures these people dead or alive or provides concrete information, the government will award them a cash reward," the government said. "The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (the Pakistani Taliban) terrorists are daily involved in deadly activities and because of their activities innocent Muslims are going to the valley of death."