Mass Kidnapping in Pakistan

To counteract the Pakistani army offense in the Swat valley, the Taliban captured several hundred students and teachers in the mountains of western Pakistan on Monday. Nearly 30 minivans en route from a college were overtaken by an armed Taliban group after the convoy, which was told by the governor to leave early for summer vacation, reached a checkpoint. A member of another minivan convoy that made it to their destination said, “The people were heavily armed and their faces were quite open. They were armed to the teeth. They were local Taliban.”