Friday, March 16, 2012

Pakistan says Swiss couple held by Taliban is free

(AP) ? A Swiss couple held captive by the Taliban in Pakistan since July turned up at an army post close to the Afghan border and was flown to safety on Thursday by the Pakistani military, security officials said.

The Swiss Embassy was not immediately able to confirm the development.

The Swiss man and woman, who were seized in July in southwestern Pakistan, were last seen in a militant video in October, saying their captors were threatening to kill them.

The Pakistani security officials did not say whether the couple had escaped, was freed during an army operation or was released by their captors.

The couple was flown to Peshawar, the main city in northwestern Pakistan, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Militants and criminal gangs often kidnap wealthy Pakistanis and less commonly foreigners.

Large ransoms are often paid to secure their release but such payments are rarely confirmed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-03-15-AS-Pakistan-Swiss-Hostages/id-d037f1a7bd18471cbaa15bde21b62634

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