LADHA/DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A faction of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for kidnapping a Chinese tourist from Darban area in D.I. Khan, on Monday evening.

The Chinese national Hong xu Dong was on a cycling tour of the country and going from Lahore to Balochistan via D.I. Khan when he was kidnapped. Sources said that from Balochistan, he planned to go to Iran.

Six men on bikes intercepted Mr Hong on Zhob-Dera road in Darban, about 45km from D.I. Khan, and whisked him away.

Abdullah Bahar, a leader of the Sheryar group of TTP in South Waziristan, has claimed that Mr Hong was in their custody.

“Our fighters have kidnapped a Chinese tourist from Darban. He is our guest and has been shifted to a safe area,” he said, adding that the purpose of kidnapping the cyclist was to force the government to release “our fighters languishing in various jails”. He said the kidnapped tourist would be released in exchange of the prisoners. Dera police have confirmed the kidnapping.

A search operation by police and security personnel resulted in finding the man’s bicycle, his travel documents and some other items in a jungle in Kulachi tehsil.

Having failed to recover the tourist after the day-long search in the jungle, police feared he might have been taken to tribal area.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2014