Swiss Couple Claims to Have Escaped Taliban

A Swiss couple kidnapped by the Taliban while vacationing in Pakistan last July turned up at a Pakistani army post today. The Taliban say a ransom was paid, but David Och and Daniela Widmer claim they escaped, reports the Christian Science Monitor. The couple had appeared in a Taliban video in October, saying the militants were threatening to kill them. After they appeared today, however, two Taliban commanders said they were only freed after several Taliban prisoners were released by the government and a ransom was paid. "They say they escaped from the custody of militants," says a Pakistani general. (More Pakistan stories.)