Pakistan

Taliban release 30 hostages after forcing them to quit their jobs

Article published on the 2009-02-04 Latest update 2009-02-04 15:26 TU

Residents flee from the Swat valley.
(Photo: Reuters)

Taliban militants in the Swat valley in Pakistan have forced 30 security officers to quit their jobs, after taking them captive on Tuesday night.

Early on Tuesday thousands of militants attacked a police station in the Shamozai area, forcing the army to come the rescue of the police.

The offensive continued throughout the day, before the operation was suspended. Then during the night the Taliban attacked once again, kidnapping 30 officers and blowing up the building.

The Swat valley was once a tourist destination, before the cleric, Maulana Fazlullah tried to impose Sharia law.

“It had its own autonomy, it had low interference from Pakistan […] it was a favourite holiday destination for many well heeled Pakistanis […] the trouble started in mid-2007,” said correspondent Omar Waraich.

A Taliban spokesperson said the officers were released under certain conditions, including resignation from their jobs.

Pakistan has been under pressure to step-up their efforts against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.

“Since the military operation started in the Swat valley we’ve seen the militants capture greater and greater land progressively - at the moment it seems as if all but 20 per cent of the valley is in the control of the militants,” Waraich told RFI.

“A lot of local residents complain that the military action has been ineffective, they have caused too much collateral damage - they haven’t impacted on the militants,” he said.

“The main factor will be whether they can successfully isolate these militants […] to get the people to oppose them […] and to politically isolate them,” he added.

The militants took weapons and two police vehicles and left the officers near the rural town of Kabal.