The captors of two Chinese engineers threatened to kill their
hostages on Monday unless Pakistani authorities released up to six
of their accomplices, Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan
Sherpao said.
In an interview with the BBC, the minister said the kidnappers
were under the control of Pakistani tribal leader Abdullah Mehsud,
a former Taliban commander and chief of the militants in Pakistan's
South Waziristan tribal area. Mehsud, who is not in the same
location as the hostages and their captors, claimed responsibility
on Sunday for the abduction.
Sherpao said four militants were involved in the kidnapping, one
Afghan, one Uzbek and two others who are probably of Pakistani
origin. Earlier reports said there were five kidnappers.
Sherpao said the kidnappers, through their messenger, are
demanding the release of a number of their accomplices, although
the precise number and identities remain unclear.
Mehsud reportedly threatened to kill one of the hostages unless
security forces allowed the captors and hostages to join him.
However, he allowed his deadline to pass because negotiations were
under way, according to AFP.
Mehsud has been described by intelligence agencies as an Al
Qaeda "facilitator."
Sherpao said that Pakistani security agents know where the
hostages are being held. The militants have strapped explosives to
their bodies and, according to AP, to those of the hostages as
well.
Tribal sources said the kidnappers have also demanded an end to
military operations in South Waziristan, a remote tribal area where
hundreds have died in battles between Pakistani security forces and
Al Qaida-linked militants since March.
A tribal council meeting was held Monday to negotiate with the
kidnappers for a peaceful resolution to the standoff but there were
no conclusive results, said Pakistan's local English-language
newspaper Dawn.
Negotiations for the hostages' release continue and the Chinese
embassy in Islamabad is closely following events.
"We thank the Pakistani government for their all-out effort to
rescue the hostages and believe that they will resolve the issue,"
said Zhang Yiming, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in
Islamabad.
The two engineers, Wang Ende and Wang Peng, were kidnapped
Saturday by gunmen near Jandala. The area lies on
Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
The hostages are reported to be in good condition at
present.
The engineers have been working on a dam and a canal in the
region for the China National Water Resources and Hydropower
Engineering Group Corporation.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily October 12,
2004)