One of the two abducted Sikhs rescued during an army operation in Pakistan's Taliban-infested tribal belt was injured in a shootout between security forces and militants, according to the Pakistani military.
Surjeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh, who were abducted for a ransom by Taliban over 40 days ago in the tribal belt, were freed yesterday during an operation mounted by the army in an area located along the boundary of Khyber and Aurakzai tribal regions.
While Gurvinder was reunited with his family in Peshawar yesterday, Surjeet was admitted to a military hospital and underwent surgery for injuries sustained during the army operation.
Chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the media that one of the Sikhs was injured during the military action, during which "several militants" were killed. Ram Singh, the elder brother of Surjeet, said doctors at the Combined Military Hospital had conducted a successful operation and removed two bullets from his brother's body. He said his brother was in a stable condition.
The Sikh community has thanked president Asif Ali Zardari, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani for the recovery of the two Sikhs.
The area from where the Sikhs were rescued is dominated by militants led by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan commanders Nazir Afridi, Adnan Afridi and Tariq Afridi.
Surjeet and Gurvinder were abducted along with Jaspal Singh, whose beheaded body was found in Khyber on February 21. He was killed after relatives of the abducted Sikhs failed to pay Rs30 million demanded by the militants as ransom.
