Hundreds of students feared kidnapped by Taliban in Pakistan

Rage

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Pakistan student convoy 'missing'

17:31 GMT, Monday, 1 June 2009 18:31 UK




Police in north-western Pakistan say several hundred students are missing in a tribal area near the Afghan border.

Unconfirmed reports from the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan say the students, teachers and relatives may have been kidnapped by militants.

Further north, troops are tightening their hold on Mingora, the main town in the Swat valley, after retaking it from the Taliban at the weekend.

In the town of Kohat, a blast at a bus terminal killed at least two people.


Attack fears

Reports say a convoy of about 30 minibuses carrying the students left Razmak Cadet College in North Waziristan bound for the town of Bannu.

Only two minibuses turned up, police say.

"Two vehicles carrying some 25 students reached Bannu, we are investigating about other students," local police chief Iqbal Marwat told the AFP news agency.

According to witnesses who escaped the convoy was stopped by a group of heavily armed men. Police officials quote these witnesses as saying a large number of people have been kidnapped, although there are conflicting reports about how many.

There has been a rise in violent incidents in recent days in the tribal areas next to the Afghan border.

The BBC's Chris Morris in Islamabad says officials believe militants are trying to divert attention away from a major military offensive in the Swat valley.

Fears of attacks by militants have increased after a military offensive against the Taliban in parts of the north-west.



The militants said they had carried out a massive bombing in the city of Lahore last week and have threatened more attacks.

Pakistani troops are still fighting against Taliban militants in the Swat valley, pushing northwards from Mingora, which is now under full government control.

The authorities say more than 1,200 militants and about 90 soldiers have been killed since their offensive began in a neighbouring district nearly six weeks ago.

There has been no official word about civilian casualties, and no independent confirmation of the military's claims.

An estimated 2.5 million people have fled from the fighting, but tens of thousands who were trapped in their homes are in even greater need of assistance.


'Retaliation'

The blast which killed two in Kohat, an important garrison town in North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), injured at least eight others, officials say.

Police say a bomb went off in a crowded bus terminal on Monday afternoon.

Kohat police chief Mohammad Idrees said the attack could be retaliation for police operations against the militants, the Associated Press reported.

Taliban militants were driven out of Mingora, Swat's main town, on Saturday by Pakistani government troops.

Officials said operations in the whole Swat valley region should end in the next few days, although military chiefs are more cautious .


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8076594.stm
 

Rage

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Militants kidnap cadets, staffers of Razmak College



Updated at: 2220 PST, Monday, June 01, 2009

NORTH WAZIRISTAN: Militants have kidnapped cadets and staffers of Razmak College who were heading to Bannu from the College.

The cadets and staffers of the college, situated in North Waziristan, were on their way to Bannu when they were kidnapped by militants who came in 20 vehicles. However, 17 cadets traveling in a vehicle successfully escaped from there.

Cadet College Razmak was suddenly closed and the cadets and staff were sent to Bannu.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Tribal Affairs Mirza Muhammad Jihadi has confirmed the happening of the incident.

Strongly condemning the kidnapping, he pledged that the government will ensure safe release of the hostages.


Militants kidnap cadets, staffers of Razmak College
 

Known_Unknown

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New crisis in the making? I hope the Pak government and Army will take a lesson or two from this and stop spreading extremist ideology in their own country.

But then again, utopia is not possible.
 

hit&run

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i think taliban is up-to big ransom or may demand end of rahe haq[spelling] operation.
its very bad.
pakistan will never learn, they have congeniality with all what is happening here; like its normal for them. pakistani citizens are on disposal to empowered army and politicians for; their great national interest of destabilizing India and begging money.
 

johnee

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I wont be surprised if these children reappear with their faces masked by hoods, their hands holding kalashnikovs and their heads filled with islamic views of taliban......

But why is Taliban resorting to kidnap these kids? Is it to recruit them? or simply for ransom?
If its the former, then does that mean that Taliban is finding it hard to get new recruits? Does that mean that popularity of taliban is going down in the eyes of abduls on the street in Pakistan or is it simply another charade produced, directed and screenplayed by the PA?
Only future will tell....
 

Daredevil

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The might be used as human shield, I guess.
 

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