Militants release 48 FC men in Swat

SWAT—Local Taliban on Friday freed 48 paramilitary troops that they had captured in overnight fighting in the valley of Swat, where a week of fierce fighting has left around 200 people dead.
The militants first paraded the soldiers to the media and then gave 500 rupees (around 9 US dollars) to each captive before freeing them, Aaj news channel reported.
‘We surrendered after they told us that we would not be harmed,’ a captive who claimed to be from the Frontier Corps Dir Scouts told the reporters before his release in Charbagh area of Swat, located some 160 kilometres from the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) capital Peshawar. ‘We did not want to fight these Muslims brothers (militants) who are striving for the enforcement of Islamic sharia (law),’ he said.
Claiming of taking more than 50 Security Officials as hostage in Swat have presented them before the journalists in Charbagh. According to BBC, the militants claimed that they have kidnapped nearly 100 militants so far from Thursday.
The kidnapped officials of the FC while talking to BBC said that they do not want to fight with their Muslim brothers who are fighting for the implementation of Shariat, adding that they laid down their arms after being assured from the local Taliban that they would not be harmed.
Spokesman of Maulana Fazlullah, Sirajuddin while talking to BBC on telephone from Mam Dheri Center told that their comrades besieged the Security Forces in the mountain of Khawazakhela on Thursday and after snatching the arms took nearly 40 officials as hostage.
The Spokesman said that some of the Security Officials were killed as they refused to lay down their arms. He said that these security officials brought down through a helicopter in the mountains of Mata. High Government Officials while talking to BBC said that the Gunship helicopters targeted the hideout of the militants after a Check Post was attacked by the militants. The security forces deputed at Kanjo Check Post in Mingora also attacked the hideouts of the militants and the sounds of the blasts were heard in Mingora, Headquarter of Swat.
According to the BBC, Maulana Fazlullah who is leading the militants delivered a speech on FM Radio Channel after the break of 6 days in which he condemned the Government’s action in the area. Meanwhile, after starting of fresh clashes between the Security Forces and the militants, the migration from a number of areas of Swat has been started again.
Local journalist, Jehanzeb who reached Mingora from Mata told that the people are moving towards safer places from Mata and its adjoining areas, adding that the bombardment in the night caused scare among people specially children. He said that there is no journalist in the area and if present in the area they cannot cover the event due to fear from the Government and the militants.—Agencies