Pakistan seaches for captured troops

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 17 (UPI) -- The Pakistani Army says it is still searching for troops missing since Taliban forces attacked their Afghan border checkpoint Monday.

The Afghan Taliban said Wednesday it was holding as many as 40 troops after a raid in the Mohmand tribal area, the BBC reported.

Pakistan Army Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas confirmed 40 Frontier Corps troops were missing and said every effort was being put forth to locate them, the BBC reported.

"We are looking for them," Abbas said.

Contact with the soldiers was lost after the attack in the Shonkarai area of the Mohmand, Pakistani security officials say.

"Ten of the missing soldiers subsequently returned to their positions the same day, but about 40 are still missing," Abbas said.

There have been clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani border forces in the Mohmand and Bajaur areas for the last five or six days, an Afghan military commander based in the border province of Kunar told the BBC.

During this period, Pakistani soldiers mistakenly crossed into Afghan territory twice to seek shelter with local people, Afghan Gen. Mohammad Afzal said.