November 20, 2008	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 21, 1429

KHAR, Nov 19: Two more kidnapped tribal elders managed to escape from Taliban’s custody in Damadola while six militants were killed by security forces in different areas of restive Bajaur tribal region on Wednesday.

Official sources said that two more tribal elders, who were kidnapped by Maulana Faqir Mohammad’s men and shifted to undisclosed location in Damadola on Monday, reached Khar safely. They are staying with the political authorities as guests along with their other colleagues including Malak Munir Khan, acting chief of Mamond lashkar.

They said that the injured tribal chief Malak Ismail Khan, along with another Mamond tribal elder and two servants, was still in Taliban’s custody.

The elders were picked up from the fortress-like home of Malak Ismail Khan in Inayat Kalley by a group of Taliban after a violent clash, which left seven persons killed on Monday.

Damadola was a stronghold of Taliban and a large number of Chechen, Uzbek, Sudanese, Tajik and Afghan militants were hiding there, the fleeing tribal elders said.

Sources said that relatives and well-wishers of tribal chief Ismail Khan had sent a delegation of tribal elders to hold talks with Taliban leadership in Damadola for his release but Taliban demanded three days to reach any decision.

The delegation, sources said, was told that a Taliban commander was killed by Ismail Khan’s men in the exchange of fire but the delegation rejected the accusation, saying that Taliban commander was killed in the clash before Mamond tribal elders took refuge in his house.

The delegation told Taliban leadership that Malak Ismail Khan had provided shelter to tribal elders on humanitarian grounds and tribal traditions.

Taliban, however, assured them that the tribal chief would be released after three days.

The relatives were of the view that to ensure safe recovery of the tribal chieftain, a jirga of elders of key tribes of Bajaur region would be sent to Maulana Faqir Muhammad in Damadola for talks after three days.

The killing of two key Mamond elders in Sunday clash with Taliban and kidnapping of their leaders has been hampering the lashkar activities against militants for the last four days.

However, the volunteers of Barozai tribal lashkar were carrying their activities in their area and manning different checkposts to keep check on militant movement, sources said, adding that militants had stopped their activities and had gone under ground. —Correspondent