The Pakistani military says it has rescued dozens of pupils and teachers from a boys' school who were taken captive by Taliban militants yesterday. The abduction happened in the North Waziristan area, close to where the army is currently battling tribal militants in the Swat Valley. The army says soldiers manning a checkpoint rescued the abductees from the militants while they were heading towards South Waziristan. The kidnap was one of a string of militant actions in Pakistan's tribal belt in recent days which are apparently aimed at distracting the army from its Swat offensive.