Taliban militants have kidnapped more than 30 Pakistani boys who had mistakenly crossed the unmarked border in the country's lawless north-west into Afghanistan, officials said Friday. They said the incident took place on Thursday after the group of boys, aged between 12 and 18-years-old, visited the area of Gharkhi in Bajaur for celebrations Eid holidays.
"These boys inadvertently crossed into Afghanistan while picnicking on the second day of Eid and were kidnapped by militants," senior local administration official Syed Nasim told AFP. However, Afghan border police commander General Aminullah Amarkhel said he had no knowledge of the abduction, and the local Taliban commander in Kunar province, where the boys vanished, also said he was unaware of the incident.
Two local intelligence officials said that the kidnappers were apparently from a militant group allied with Taliban commander Maulvi Faqir Muhammad, who led insurgents in Bajaur but is believed to have fled to Afghanistan in 2010. "The kidnappers were Taliban militants, belonging to Maulvi Faqir Muhammad group," one official said, on condition of anonymity. Another Pakistani administration official speaking anonymously said security forces were stretched thin along parts of the frontier. "It is a porous border and security cover is not available everywhere," he said.