MIRAMSHAH, Oct 6: Local Taliban militants have kidnapped another 28 paramilitary soldiers in the troubled North Waziristan tribal region.

Official sources told Dawn on Saturday that over 20 soldiers of the Frontier Corps (FC) had gone missing in Spin Wam, adjacent to Hangu district, on Thursday and their whereabouts were still not known.

However, a spokesman for militant Ahmadullah Ahmadi said by telephone from somewhere in the region that their men had seized 28 security personnel in the Spin Wam area.

The sources said that the militants had attacked a checkpoint in the area with rockets and missiles, forcing the personnel to lay down their weapons. They said the militants had captured the 28 soldiers manning the checkpoint and took away their weapons.

Over 300 army and paramilitary soldiers are now in custody of the militants in North and South Waziristan.

Militants gunned down three kidnapped soldiers in the South Waziristan agency on Thursday.

The spokesman warned that the militants would start targeting all government installations and security forces if troops were not removed from all checkpoints in North Waziristan.

The militants had scrapped a peace deal with the government in July when government forces were deployed at checkpoints in the region.