Taliban rebels abduct 25 police recruits in Pakistan

Irish Sun (IANS) Thursday 4th September, 2008

Taliban militants captured 25 police recruits in restive north-western Pakistan, officials said Thursday.

The trainees were abducted in the tribal North-Western Frontier Province late Wednesday when they were returning to the Police Training College after vacations in Hangu district, the provincial police chief Naveed Malik said.

'The militants intercepted three vehicles carrying the police cadets somewhere between Orakzai and Khyber tribal districts and took them away,' he added. The drivers were later freed.

Pakistan's tribal districts are known sanctuaries of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants who are fighting the country's security forces as well as launching cross-border attacks on US-led international forces in Afghanistan.