PESHAWAR, Feb 8: The city police with the help of khasadar force of Khyber Agency political administration have recovered two persons after an encounter and arrested an alleged gang of kidnappers during an operation in Mashupeky area of Badhber on Friday.

The operation was started at 9:30am, which continued till evening, sources in police told Dawn.

On Wednesday evening, Dunya Khan, son of Khyal, a resident of Zakhakhel, with his accomplices kidnapped a banker Saleemullah Khan Niazi and Saeed Khan on Kohat Road in the jurisdiction of Matani police station when they were coming back to the city from Dera Ismail Khan.

Sources said the police, acting on a tipoff, went to the area with more than 50 cops and armoured personnel carrier. Sensing the police operation, the alleged kidnappers opened fire on the police.

After two hours of fire exchange, the police succeeded in arresting Dunya Khan, son of Khyal; Gulroza, daughter of Ziyarat Gul; Sher Afghan, son of Waris; Aslam, son of Akram; Zareef, son of Mir Hassan; Hazratullah, son of Chiragh; Wakeel, son of Fazle Qadir and Awal Khan, son of Mir Aslam, the sources said.

The police also seized four kalashnikov, four rifles, a repeater and a 30-bore pistol from the possession of the accused.

During their search both the kidnapped persons were also recovered.

Sources  said Dunya Khan was involved in  several kidnapping for ransom cases. He was also involved in kidnapping of 13-year-old Ismail Yousuf, a son of SDO Works Department, Kohat, Yousuf Ali.

Meanwhile, the captor of Ismail Yousuf told the Jirga of Afridi elders that he had purchased the boy from kidnappers.

Sources in police said the Jirga of Afridi tribe went to Baragai area — a village situated between Orakzai and Khyber agencies mountains — and requested Mir Owais, nephew of Jan Storikhel to release Ismail Yousuf. “But he is reluctant,” the sources maintained.

They said another Afridi tribe Jirga would visit the area on Saturday and might hold talks for the release of Ismail Yousuf.