BANNU, Oct 7: Five paramilitary soldiers, kidnapped last week along with 28 others from Bakakhel in the Frontier Region of Bannu, escaped from their captors and returned home on Saturday.

Militants had captured at least 33 soldiers of the Frontier Constabulary after an attack on the Rocha checkpost in Bakakhel on October 1.

Two soldiers were killed and seven others were freed the following day.

Sources said that two of the five soldiers who had escaped reached the FC lines in Bannu on Saturday evening.

They were identified as Havaldar Mohammad Azeem and sepoy Mujtaba.

Three others are: Havaldar Mohammad Younas, sepoys Abid and Mohammad Anwar.

They said the militants had divided soldiers in groups of five and kept them at different places.

BOMB DEFUSED: Bomb disposal squad personnel defused a time bomb on Saturday night.

Officials and witnesses said a watchman had spotted a suspected shopping bag on the Garda Nali street and informed police about it.

They said the bomb was to explode at a time when a large number of women shop in the area.

They said the bomb was covered with shrapnel to make it more destructive.

Meanwhile, the Miryan police on Sunday received an anonymous letter threatening revenge for the killing of three militants during an attack on Tochi checkpost on August 12.

The letter held four policemen responsible for the killing of the militants.