21 Missing Pakistani Policemen Found Dead

Twenty-One missing Pakistani tribal policemen have been found shot dead in Frontier Region Pershawar, Packistan. The men had been missing since last Thursday when authorities believe they were kidnapped by the Taliban.

Of the original 23 men who were captured, one was able to escape and alert authorities where to find the others. Another man was found seriously wounded according to a political official.

Last Thursday, heavily armed militants descended upon checkpoints in northwest Pakistan, leaving two people dead. The checkpoints were repeatedly set on fire and hit with rocket propelled grenades. In the aftermath, according to BBC News, two men were found dead and at least 23 Pakistani policemen had been kidnapped.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had captured more than 30 men. The Seattle Times discusses the Taliban’s Presence in the area:

” … suspicion fell on the Pakistani Taliban, who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for the past few years. The tribal region is the main sanctuary for the Taliban in Pakistan.”

According to an official, it has been confirmed that the kidnapped policemen were lined up and gunned down late Saturday night.

The recent killings in the Pershawar area are only one of many ongoing fatal attacks over the past few years. Just Last Saturday an explosion in a bus terminal in Karachi killed six people and wounded 52 others. The cause of the blast is still unknown due to the extensive damage.

In June, 17 Pakistani security guards who were reportedly kidnapped by another Taliban group were found beheaded.