December 02, 2007	Sunday	Ziqa’ad 21, 1428

KOHAT, Dec 1: The tribal administration of Darra Adamkhel is still engaged in talks with the local Taliban through a jirga constituted by NWFP Governor Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai for an unconditional release of hostages.

The local Taliban had taken more than a dozen local people, including women, hostages in the aftermath of violence in the Kurram Agency.

The militants released two more men after keeping them in captivity for 12 days, raising the total number of people freed so far to eight, a press release issued form the DCO office, Kohat, said on Saturday.

The hostages, Zulfiqar, a resident of Peshawar and Nawaz Hussain, a resident of Mitha Khan, Kohat, were handed over to the jirga.

They were shifted to DCO Kamran Zeb’s office, who is also the political agent of Kohat.

Earlier, the local Taliban had freed three women and a man. They had also released one man each on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, more than two dozen people are still in their captivity.

The assistant political agent was keeping in touch with the kidnappers through some clerics. The militants want to swap the hostages with their men held by a rival group in Kurram Agency, DCO Kamran Zeb said.