GHALLANAI, Sept 4: The militants on Tuesday unconditionally released 10 personnel of the Frontier Corps, including Major Asif, who were kidnapped in the Qandharo area of the Mohmand Agency on Saturday.

Assistant Political Agent Syed Ahmad Jan confirmed the release of the FC personnel while talking to Dawn by telephone from the area. The militants handed over 10 personnel of the Frontier Corps to a five-member jirga, led by MNA Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq.

The jirga had been engaged in negotiations with the militants for the past 40 hours to secure the release of the security personnel.

Earlier, the sources said, the militants had put five demands to the jirga members for the release of the kidnapped soldiers. Their demands include release of their five compatriots, abolition of all checkpoints, compliance with the Sara Rogha peace agreement and inclusion of 25 controversial villages from settled areas in the Mohmand Agency.

Political authorities didn’t confirm the demands of the militants.

The authorities had arrested 30 people of the Safi tribe and impounded their four vehicles three days ago in an effort to get the kidnapped security personnel released.