Unidentified militants kidnapped a havaldar and six Frontier Constabulary soldiers in Hangu district late Tuesday night, police said on Wednesday. Tall Police Station Duty Officer Wajib Alam said the men were kidnapped from the Spin Tall checkpost, from an area bordering the Orakzai tribal region. They were probably taken to North Waziristan, he added. “The paramilitary soldiers offered no resistance and the attackers also took away their weapons and ammunition,” a Hangu city security official told Daily Times. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. The government also denied reports that the abductions were hurting the army’s morale. “They are fighting back ... the security forces are in high spirits,” Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Cheema told a weekly briefing, AFP reported. He said officials were seeking a solution that avoided an operation that would endanger civilians, including offering development projects in the region, AP reported.
Two soldiers abducted: In a separate incident, two paramilitary soldiers were captured late on Tuesday, said militant spokesman Ahmadullah Ahmadi, Reuters reported.