The army on Wednesday said that more than 100 soldiers had been killed by Taliban militants in the last five months, a rare admission of casualties since the start of government efforts to engage the insurgents in peace talks. The administration of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who came to power last year promising to find a negotiated peace with the Taliban, has been trying to engage the militants, but the efforts have faltered in recent weeks. The lack of progress has given rise to speculation that the government, backed by the army, is preparing for an offensive against Taliban strongholds in the tribal belt along the Afghan border. The peace talks broke down this week after a series of attacks on security forces claimed by fringe Taliban groups.