Militants lure 45 Pak boys to Afghanistan

Source: nation pak

BAJAUR AGENCY - At least 18 Pakistani children out of 45, who have mistakenly crossed into Kunar province of Afghanistan, have been released while 27 are still in the captivity of Afghan militants, locals in Bajaur Agency said on Friday.

In order to celebrate Eidul Fitr, about 45 children belonging to Bajaur Agency went for picnicking at Ghakhi area in tehsil Mamond situated on Pak-Afghan border. They mistakenly crossed into Kunar province of Afghanistan on Thursday and were kidnapped by armed militants at gunpoint and were shifted to mountainous area of Kunar province.
Afghan militants made all children hostage, who are stated to be in 10 to 20 years of ages. However, reportedly 18 of them dramatically released and reached their homes, while remaining 27 are still in their captivity. The 45 boys belonged to Tarkho, Erab, Laghrai and Chamyar Johar villages of tehsil Mamond. The locals said that all the boys were picnicking when a group of about 12 armed men reached the site and kidnapped them in vehicles and shifted them to unknown destination. Locals said that incident of mass abduction had taken place on Thursday but the news was not made public as tribal elders tried to arrange their release. Moreover, it has also been learnt that some of the older children in the group managed to escape kidnapping attempt and run back, who later told local elders the whole story.
Political Agent of Bajaur Agency Islam Zeb while talking to this correspondent said that a grand jirga of Mamond tribe would soon meet Mamond tribesmen from Afghanistan to help release the remaining 27 boys. Besides, another tribal jirga is already in negotiation with administration and tribesmen from Kunar province.
Another source said that it had also been learnt that group of 45 boys went to Afghanistan’s Kunar province on Thursday after a man invited them to play in a river there, and when they were coming back, militants made them hostage.
It was not clear whether the militants are of Afghan origin or are Pakistani Taliban, as deputy chief of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan Maulvi Faqir, who belonged to Bajaur Agency, is nowadays operating from Kunar and makes attacks inside Pakistani territory.
No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for kidnapping 45 boys but it is strongly believed that Mulvi Faqir and Qari Zia group could be behind the incident.
Agencies add: Interior Minister Rehman Malik telephoned his Afghan counterpart Bismillah Muhammdi and asked him for taking measures to get the kidnapped children released. The minister also directed the Inspector General of Frontier Corps to use every source for safe and secure release of the innocent children.
Afghan border police commander General Aminullah Amarkhel said he had no knowledge of the abduction, and the local Taliban commander in Kunar province, where the boys vanished, also said he was unaware of the incident.