 | From the Dawn blogwire ... |
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 11 (AP) Militants will start killing a group of hostages if several militant prisoners are not released by Saturday afternoon, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar Friday said. Umar claimed the Taliban kidnapped 29 people, most of them security forces. However, Hangu district official Haji Khan Afzal said 16 or 17 people were being held. The hostages were taken during a militant siege of a police station Wednesday. A man named Rafiuddin suspected of being a deputy to top Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud is believed to be among those prisoners. Umar said the government must release the prisoners by Saturday afternoon or the hostages will be killed. |