14 February 2005	Monday	04 Muharram 1426

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PESHAWAR, Feb 13: A helicopter of army aviation, during a salvage mission on Sunday, rescued all the four remaining soldiers who were stranded at a post established on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border deep inside Tirah valley in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

However, 24 out of a team of 30 soldiers, who were hit by an avalanche last Friday, were still missing and could not be traced even on Sunday, the second consecutive day of the rescue operation conducted through a small helicopter, piloted by Lt Col Khalil Dar, in the treacherous Tirah valley.

"Four of the remaining soldiers who were stranded at a border post on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border were airlifted safe and sound. However, no trace could be established of the 26 soldiers who went missing on Friday," Col Zahid Hussain, in charge of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Peshawar, told Dawn on being contacted.