PESHAWAR, Dec 15: Militia forces arrested 31 foreign fighters of Al Qaeda in Kurram Agency’s Zairan Kandao area on Saturday, senior provincial government officers confirmed.

NWFP Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Javed Iqbal told Dawn that Kurram levy and Frontier corps, in the Zairan Kandao area, arrested the 31 Al Qaeda members of Saudi and Yemini origin, fleeing attacks on Tora Bora mountains, on Saturday.

The Arabs were taken into custody after they crossed the border from the Mullah Bagh Kandao area bordering the Tora Bora mountains, presently under attack by the American bombers and anti-Taliban Pakhtoon forces to hunt down Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network.

The arrest brought the number of Al Qaeda members, of Arab origin, held during the last three days in Pakistan to 40 as nine Saudi fighters, apparently loyal to Osama, had been arrested on Wednesday.