Militants release two journalists

GHILANAI—Local Taliban here Saturday freed two journalists and a local tribesman who was kidnapped from Zairat area in Mohmand Agency the other day, APA Ghalanai told reporters. Akhat Sumro and Pir Zubair Shah, Islamabad-based journalists working for a US paper, were picked up by local Taliban on Friday when they were taking pictures in the area along with a local tribesman in Zeriat area.
Assistant Political Agent Ghilanai Syed Ahmad Jan told APP that the kidnapped journalists were released after the efforts made by tribal jirga. “Jirga held extensive talks with local Taliban and finally succeeded in releasing the journalists,” he added. Taliban spokesman Dr Asad while talking to journalists here confirmed that the kidnapped journalists have been released. Taliban militants released two Pakistani journalists on Saturday more than 36-hours after they were abducted in a tribal region near the Afghan border. “When it was proven that they’re journalists and not spies, we freed them,” Taliban spokesman Asad said. A group of tribal elders had gone to negotiate for the release of the journalists, freelance reporter Pir Zubair Shah and photographer Akhtar Soomro, after they were kidnapped in the Mohmand region on Thursday.
Syed Ahmad Jan, a senior administrator in Mohmand, confirmed that the two men had been freed and said both were fine. Pro-Taliban groups control large chunks of territory in ethnic Pashtun regions, like Mohmand, and al Qaeda militants are also hiding in the area.

—Agencies