Taliban offer release of 33 soldiers in swap of thier colleagues

Spokesman of the banned Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has Tuesday offered Pakistani government to release the 33 soldiers they claim to have captured in the clashes on last Thursday in return of their colleagues.

 Taliban spokesman, Ikramullah Mohmand told the newsmen on Tuesday morning  that Pakistani authorities should release their colleagues  in response to the 33 soldiers in their prison which they had captured in the clashes a few days back or “face the consequences” if they did not agree to the swap.  

Security forces had admitted that 33 soldiers were missing since the Taliban attacked a check post in Shonkrai, a remote area of Mohmand tribal region along the Pak-Afghan border while 25 more strayed deep into Afghan territory after the clashes on last Thursday which were handed back by Afghan forces.

Seven bodies of the soldiers that were killed in the attack on Shonkrai post had already been handed over to tribal elders, officials and local sources confirmed.

Ikramullah Mohmand, spokesman of TTP, added that they had offered the government to exchange their soldiers in return of their colleagues in government custody or face the consequences in the shape of their death because they had no resources to detain them in the prison. He said they were in a state of war and had no choice other than their death if the government did not comply with their demands.

Major Fazal-ur-Rehman, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps, also confirmed that 33 soldiers were missing but said they had received no such proposal of exchange with the Taliban. “If we received then we would be able to make some decision and respond,” he added.