UPPER DIR, Oct 31: Eight policemen, who had sneaked out of their post at Shah Dheri in Swat after militants of the group of Maulana Fazlullah besieged it, were sent to the troubled district, police sources said on Wednesday.

The policemen had been trapped in the checkpoint since Sunday. Militants had threatened to blow up the post if they did not surrender.

However, the policemen refused to leave the post and managed to slip away after trekking 16km barefoot through the rugged terrain.

Upon entering Karo Dara, they were rescued by their comrades.

The eight policemen were ASI Sanubar, head constable Mutabar Khan, constables Akbar Khan, Shakir, Said Qayyum, Farooq, Tahir Hussain and Mohammad Iqbal.

Another source claimed that the policemen had in fact been taken hostage by the militants and were later released by their captors.

They were deprived of their weapons, the source added.