GHALANAI, May 22: A political muharrar and a pro-government elder of the Mohmand Agency were kidnapped by some people in the Ghazi Baig area, 25 kilometres north-west from here, on Thursday.

Sources said political muharrar Gauhar Ali and his elder brother Malik Samandar Khan, who is a pro-government elder, were kidnapped by masked gunmen when they were coming back home in their car from the political administration’s offices in Ghalanai.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. However, unconfirmed reports said the local Taliban were behind incident.

Meanwhile, two paramilitary troops were injured in an encounter between security forces and miscreants at the Sagi checkpost near Mamad Gat in the Mohmand Agency on Wednesday.

The security personnel were reportedly fetching waters from a nearby channel when they came under attack by the militants. The troops retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for some time.

However, a spokesman for the Tehrik-i-Taliban’s Mohmand chapter, Dr Asad, claimed that the Taliban were on a routine patrol in the area when the security personnel opened fire on them.