Taliban Kidnaps 25 Boys to Punish Tribe

by Rick Moran

You might think this sort of thing would backfire, kidnapping children and holding them hostage to change the behavior of tribesmen who support the Pakistani government.

But, the Taliban seems to have made their point. Reuters:

Pakistani Taliban on Saturday claimed responsibility for holding up to 25 boys hostage as punishment for tribesmen who supported the military in the country's troubled northwest.

Pakistani officials said Friday militants in Afghanistan kidnapped the boys after they mistakenly crossed the border while on an outing in the border tribal region of Bajaur on Wednesday.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman said they held the boys, and their fate would be decided by the militants from Bajaur.

"We have kidnapped them as their parents and tribal elders are helping the government and are fighting against us," spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters from an undisclosed location.

He said they held between 20 to 25 boys, but did not say where they have been kept. Bajaur's top government administrator, Islam Zeb, said 25 boys were missing.

A group of around 60 boys took part in the outing but about 20 below ten years old were allowed to return to Pakistan, while up to 40 others between 12 to 14 years old were held, officials said earlier.

Rick Moran

Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/09/taliban_kidnaps_25_boys_to_punish_tribe.html

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