Thirty Pakistani policemen are reported to have been captured by Taliban fighters in the northwest Swat Valley after they laid siege to a police station, reported Aljazeera.
"Taliban kidnapped 30 policemen and blew up the police office after a day-long fight," Dilawar Khan, a regional police commander, said on Wednesday.
Army troops were sent to the Shamozai area in an effort to rescue the police officers but the operation was suspended after dusk fell, security officials said.
Four paramilitary and police officers were wounded in the clashes around the police station, a Pakistani intelligence official said.
Pakistan has carried out a series of military operations against Taliban-linked fighters in the region in recent months.
Thousands of people living in the Swat valley have fled their homes to escape clashes between government forces and opposition fighters.
Many of the fighters are loyal to Maulana Fazlullah, a religious leader who since mid-2007 has led an armed campaign aimed at promoting Sharia.
About 50 militants were killed in military operations across the valley between Monday and Tuesday, security and intelligence officials have said.
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