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| India-Pakistan |
| Soldiers feared captured found safe: military |
| 2007-08-31 |
| About 100 soldiers missing and fear kidnapped by militants in a tribal zone bordering Afghanistan have been found safe, a military spokesman said Thursday. A convoy transporting the troops had been travelling in South Waziristan district when it lost contact with army headquarters, raising fears they had been attacked or abducted by militants. However the military was informed later Thursday that the convoy was off the main road in a valley in the region sheltering from a storm, Major General Waheed Arshad told AFP. “We hope they will return to their camp Friday morning, there is no suggestion of kidnapping or fighting,” Arshad said. He added that the convoy had been surrounded by local villagers who thought the soldiers were preparing to launch an attack, triggering a tense standoff. But he said the situation had since been defused and the soldiers would remain in the valley overnight to ride out the bad weather. The convoy had been enroute to the neighbouring tribal territory of North Waziristan. Concerns for the troops come after militants in South Waziristan on Tuesday released 19 soldiers who were abducted earlier this month. Fears had mounted earlier Thursday for the convoy, with a senator in the region, Salih Shah, saying it was believed the men were “taken hostage due to some misunderstanding between security forces and the militants”. He did not have further details. Tribal elders said there had been “no violation” of a peace deal signed in September 2005 under which they undertook to prevent militancy in the remote region, Arshad earlier told AFP. |
| Posted by:Fred |