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Afghan Authorities Return Missing Pakistani Troops

   VOA News 17 June 2010
   Pakistani troops (FILE)

Photo: AP

   Pakstani troops (FILE)

   Pakistani military officials say 14 of about 40 Pakistani soldiers who
   went  missing  following  an attack on a security checkpoint have been
   found  in  neighboring  Afghanistan.  Officials say the Frontier Corps
   paramilitary troops disappeared from the Mohmand tribal region after a
   Taliban insurgent attack along the Afghan border earlier this week. Â
   Military  spokesman  Major General Athar Abbas told reporters Thursday
   that  Afghan  authorities  handed  over  the  troops  to the Pakistani
   consulate  in  Jalalabad  and  the  soldiers  were being flown back to
   Pakistan.
   Taliban  militants said they captured 10 soldiers during the attack on
   the paramilitary post, but officials could not verify the claim.
   On Wednesday, Pakistani officials said 10 paramilitary soldiers and at
   least  36  militants  were  killed in fighting in the country's Bajaur
   tribal region.
   The  Pakistani  military  has  twice  declared victory there following
   offensives  aimed  at  clearing  the  area of insurgents linked to the
   Taliban and al-Qaida.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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