GHALANAI: The Mohmand political administration on Sunday recovered three members of an independent polio monitoring team allegedly kidnapped by militants on Saturday.

A press release issued by the political administration here said a search operation was launched after the incident during which the abducted persons were recovered, but an FC personnel was killed when kidnappers opened fire.

It said that the polio campaign ended on March 15, but the monitoring team was working without informing the local administration.

Soon after the incident, the law enforcement agencies launched a search operation in Ghundai area of Safi tehsil and recovered the kidnapped persons, it said.

The polio vaccination campaign was conducted in Mohmand Agency from March12 to 15.

The independent staff was in the field for the post-campaign monitoring. However, when they were returning unknown attackers fired upon them, killing two of the staffers namely Wajid and Salahuddin -- both local residents. Three others were kidnapped by militants, officials said.

Following the incident, the political administration arrested 39 people for investigation to ascertain the cause of the attack.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2018