About seven Pakistani soldiers have gone missing in northern Sawat valley, a day after 60 earlier kidnapped soldiers were released by militants. Local Taliban militants have claimed kidnapping them.A security forces vehicle went missing Saturday while traveling from Malakand division to Sawat district, said military spokesman, Waheed Arshad. He said it was not immediately known whether the soldiers were of Pakistan army or Frontier Corps (FC) personnel.
Meanwhile, a purported spokesman for local Taliban militants, Siraj-u-Din, talking to local newsmen from unknown location, claimed that they have kidnapped seven soldiers including a Major and Captain. He said the soldiers were on routine patrol when militants attacked them and took them as hostages. They have been shifted to unknown place, he added. Security forces have been fighting local Taliban militants in Sawat since last two weeks. The latest kidnapping incident took place a day after militants released 60 soldiers of FC.