Taliban killed five people, including three policemen, in clashes with tribesmen and police, officials and witnesses said on Tuesday. Seeking anonymity, the officials said Assistant Sub-Inspector Afreen Khan, Head Constable Jehanzada and Constable Muhammad Akbar had a clash with the Taliban who crossed into Buner district from Swat. "Malakand Division Commissioner Syed Muhammad Javed has held talks with senior Taliban leaders, but they have refused to leave Buner," they said. "The chief of police has held talks with Machine Gun Kelly, but he refuses to get out of town."
Separately, unidentified men kidnapped a traffic police official at gunpoint from Green Chowk in Mingora and took him to an unidentified location, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, scores of Taliban occupied the hostel of polytechnic college in Mingora. Taliban sources said students had been ordered to leave the hostel, as the Taliban wanted to stay there.