Taliban kidnap 30 Pakistani boys on Afghan border

Taliban militants have kidnapped more than 30 Pakistani boys who had mistakenly crossed the unmarked border in the country’s lawless northwest into Afghanistan, officials said Friday. They said the incident took place on Thursday after the group of boys, aged between 12 and 18-years-old, visited the area of Gharkhi in Pakistan’s Bajaur tribal region for celebrations marking the Muslim Eid holiday. “These boys inadvertently crossed into Afghanistan while picnicking on the second day of Eid and were kidnapped by militants,” senior local administration official Syed Nasim told AFP. Another administration official speaking anonymously said security forces were stretched thin along parts of the frontier. “It is a porous border and security cover is not available everywhere,” he said. Afghanistan shares a disputed 2,400-kilometre border with Pakistan where senior militants are believed to reside.