2 kidnapped Sikhs rescued in Khyber

PESHAWAR (AFP) Two Sikhs kidnapped for ransom in Khyber were recovered alive Monday and are under the protection of soldiers, the military said.
In a statement it said that security forces had recovered the two between the Orakzai and Khyber districts, after they were abducted by terrorists in Khyber.
Forces launched an operation early on Monday and rescued the remaining two Sikhs.
The army said some miscreants were killed in the encounter, but released no further details of the circumstances in which the Sikhs were freed.
The two Sikhs were part of a trio snatched by gunmen in hopes of receiving a ransom in the town of Bara in late January, officials said.
The third Sikh, Jaspal Singh, was beheaded after relatives failed to pay a ransom. His body was found dumped in Orakzai last month.
Most Sikhs and Hindus living in Khyber pay annual protection to the local militant group Lashkar-e-Islam, a Sikh community member has said, blaming the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for the beheading.