PESHAWAR, March 30: Masked gunmen took away 16 computers and other equipment from two high schools in the restive South Waziristan Agency on Wednesday night, sources said.

Quoting eyewitnesses, they said some masked men had forcibly opened government high schools in Chag Malai and Kotkai, and taken away 16 computers, printers, power generators and other fixtures from there.

Agency Education Officer Rehman Gul confirmed that computers and fixtures were missing from the two schools.

Eyewitnesses said the masked men had told the people on the spot that they had been directed by their commander (ameer) as they were in need of computers and accessories.

The sources said computers and its accessories had been taken from majority of the government high schools in the agency.

The government had granted eight computers and accessories to each of the 23 high schools in the troubled agency in 2004-2005.

None of the computers and accessories stolen from the various high schools has been retreived so far.