Pajhwok
07/19/2006
By Abdul Majid Arif
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KHOST CITY -  Gunmen, mostly Taliban fighters, have attacked a village in the southeastern Khost province near the border with Pakistan, wounded seven villagers and took 40 others hostage, officials say.

The militant raided Saturday night Sra Ganda village in Spira district, cheek by jowl with South Waziristan, a stronghold of the Pakistan's Taliban.

Khost police chief Maj Gen Mohammad Ayub said on Monday 400 to 500 Taliban fighters attacked the district headquarters of Spira while the locals also helped the government to defend the office. This act of the residents angered the miscreants making them to assault the Sra Ganda village and wounded seven people and took away 40 villagers with them.

He said armed men from both sides of the border were believed to have conducted the raid. Three men, two women and two children were wounded in the fire.

Ayub said the hostages were taken to the other side of the border.

Locals in the district have been involved in land disputes for a long time and perhaps the fighters wanted to exploit this opportunity, said the provincial police chief.

Interior ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai confirmed the incident and said the border police have started investigating the case.

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