Taliban holding two Chinese hostages

SWAT, Pakistan, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Pakistani Taliban militants say they are holding two Chinese telecommunications engineers as hostages.

Muslim Khan, a spokesman for pro-Taliban alliance known as Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, says a faction of the group operating in the Swat Valley is holding the men, the Voice of America reported Tuesday.

Khan told reporters the engineers were kidnapped in retaliation for an intense offensive by Pakistani government forces that he says targeted women and children. VOA says he also claimed China had encouraged the Pakistani government to kill Islamic militants who had taken Chinese hostages at Islamabad's Red Mosque last year.

China's foreign ministry says it has asked the Pakistani government to find out exactly what has happened to the two engineers and to rescue them.

Pakistani officials told the broadcaster they will need to search for the men.