GHALANAI/CHARSADDA: Militants brutally killed eight kidnapped members of the  Khasaddar Force (a paramilitary unit) in Shabqadar, Charsadda district on Saturday night after their convoy was ambushed in the adjacent Mohmand tribal region.

Local Taliban’s head Omer Khalid tribal journalists by phone that his group had kidnapped and killed the personnel and also destroyed three official vehicles. He said that political tehsildar Irshad Ali and two subaidars were also in their captivity.

He told journalists that militants were ready to hold talks with the government if their activists were released and all check posts in the area were removed.

Authorities had claimed that Omer Khalid was killed in an operation about two months ago in Mohmand region.

In retaliation, security forces backed by gunship helicopters launched an offensive and targeted several positions of militants in Mohmand region. Security officials claimed that 15 militants were killed in the shelling in the Chapri Area. Forces had arrested four suspects, they added. Displacement has been reported from several areas of Mohmand and Shabqadar.      

Police and paramilitary forces have imposed curfew and launched operation against militants in settled and tribal areas. Security forces had carried major operation in the same locality last year and claimed to have clear area from miscreants.

Residents said that militants had besieged residence of a tribal elder Malik Noor Zada in Saperi area near Afghan border in the Mohmand region on Saturday. The elder called political administration and sought protection.

They said that political administration dispatched Khasaddars and tehsildar Irshad Ali to rescue the elder who had invited political agent for feast on his house. The invitation irritated local militants and they encircled the residence of Noor Zada.

Sources said that militants ambushed the Khasaddars, killing six of them on the spot, and captured 11 others including tehsildar Irshad Ali. On Sunday morning eight bodies were found in Aysha Koroona of Shabqadar tehsil. Doctors at Shabqadar hospital said that six personnel were shot dead and two were slaughtered.

Police were also dispatched to the site and bodies were brought to the hospital for postmortem. Forces immediately imposed curfew in area from Pir Qala to Michni and launched search operation. Officials said that two close relatives of a militant named Utarul Haq were arrested and hideout managed by another militant Raheel was destroyed.

Names of the dead personnel are Subaidar Javed, Taj, Misal Khan, Fazl Amin, Abdel Muhammad, Mera Jan, Muhammad Salman, Ibrahim, Ibrahim, Yousaf Khan, Gulzar, Rehmatullah, Ali Rehman, Taj Muhammad, Ajab Khan and Sher Ali. Their bodies were sent to Mohmand region.