KARACHI, Pakistan, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Students at a Karachi madrassa were imprisoned in a basement, "brainwashed" to join the Taliban and threatened, Pakistani officials say.
A police raid on Madrasa Zakarya late Monday was shown on Pakistani television, the Los Angeles Times reported. Police said 68 students were released, some of them found in chains.
"They gave us jihad training," one student said after he was freed. "They warned us if we ever tried to escape, we would be severely punished."
Two teachers were arrested.
The students included boys as young as 12 and men as old as 40. Police said some of the students might have been sent there because of problems with drug addiction.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the madrassa will be investigated.
"These young people were chained," he said. "They were brainwashed. The aggression these people felt toward society, other people, you can't expect them to feel particularly positive."
