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Taliban release Swat DCO and six guards in swap

* Fazlullah spokesman says two Taliban freed in exchange, third to be released soon

PESHAWAR: Taliban abducted and later released the new district coordination officer in Swat and his six bodyguards to secure the release of their three aides on Sunday.

“We have released the official and his six guards in exchange for the release of our two colleagues,” Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told AFP.

“The government has released two (of) our men and soon they will release the third. The government violated the agreement by arresting our men in Peshawar and killing in Dir (district) that is why we had to do this,” Khan said.

Government officials said they could not confirm the claim by Khan, saying they had not yet heard from the kidnapped official.

“I have received some information about the release of the government official and his guards, but we have not heard from him yet,” NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told AFP.

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Khushhal Khan and six bodyguards were taken away at gunpoint from a Taliban checkpost in Minogra earlier on Sunday.

Initially, Muslim Khan kept saying that Taliban had not kidnapped the official but were demonstrating traditional local hospitality and serving tea to the ‘guests’.

Hussain rubbished claims the official and his guards were merely drinking tea and said that Taliban were holding them as hostages.

“Such actions were detrimental for the peace in the region,” he told AFP.

Meanwhile Swat Private School Management Association Chairman Ahmed Shah said all the private educational institutions would be opened on Monday (today), but girls would go to schools in veil. staff report/agencies

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