10 students allegedly kidnapped in Kurram Agency

The students belonged to Kurram Agency and had taken their exams at a centre set up in Hangu.

PESHAWAR:

Unidentified gunmen kidnapped at least 10 schoolchildren from the Bagan area of the Lower Kurram Agency, sources said on Saturday.

However, political authorities denied any such incident, saying they were not aware of any such development in the area, nor had locals approached them with a complaint. Local sources on the other hand said that the incident took place around noon on Friday, when around 10 students belonging to Bagan village of Lower Kurram Agency were on their way after attending a practical examination in Sadda, when they were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen.

The children were said to be students of grade 10 and were attending their matriculation examination at the Sadda centre.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the distance between Bagan and Sadda is around two to three kilometres and that the children were travelling on foot when they were kidnapped.

They said that the Bagan area is under curfew which is why vehicles were not allowed in the area for the past few days. The sources said that the kidnapped children were Sunnis.

No outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the alleged kidnapping and the political authorities stuck to their stance saying that the incident never took place.

The area is situated close to the Hangu district border where only recently at least 13 passengers were killed when they were on their way to Parachinar. Around 30 others were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen. So far there has been no news about the kidnapped victims.

Kurram Agency has been grappling with sectarian violence for the past few years. However, over the recent years, Taliban militants have also made inroads into the region to fight on behalf of the Sunnis, plunging the area into a constant turmoil. On the other hand, militant groups have also been formed among the Shia population to fight the Taliban.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 03^rd, 2011.