The four-member team headed by EPI technician Attaullah was visiting Peshawar's suburb towns Angoor Kaley, Akora, etc, near the Mohmand Agency when around a dozen armed Taliban took them into custody.

A senior official of the NWFP Health department requesting anonymity told The News that the Taliban in the Mohmand Agency had claimed responsibility for kidnapping the four EPI workers.

He said the Taliban took them into custody from Sakhi Pul in Peshawar and later shifted them to their interrogation centre in Mohmand Agency. However, residents of the area told The News the Taliban put them in their private jail in Peshawar.

The official also said that the Taliban took two motorcycles of the EPI team in their possession. He said that he had already directed the EPI team not to visit the Taliban-controlled towns in Peshawar but despite the fact that they had not travelled to the sensitive areas, the Taliban had arrested and imprisoned them.

"I am in touch with the people who arrested them and they told me the interrogation process will take some time as right now their senior commanders are out of town," explained the health department official.

He said the Taliban so far had not made any demand. He confirmed they had received several threats from Taliban, warning them of dire consequences if they went to their areas for polio vaccination campaign.