Chinese man 'flees from Taleban'

A Chinese engineer kidnapped by the Taleban in north-west Pakistan has escaped, the militants say.

He was one of two Chinese nationals abducted in August in the district of Swat, one of the areas where the military has been battling militants.

Taleban spokesman Muslim Khan told the BBC that the second man had also tried to escape but had fallen, hurt his leg, and been recaptured.

Militants in Swat have been fighting for the introduction of Sharia law.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber in Swat's main town, Mingora, killed at least two policemen.

Correspondents say the security situation in Swat has been steadily deteriorating since the breakdown in the summer of a peace agreement between the government and the leading militant there, Maulana Fazlullah.

The Swat valley, once Pakistan's most famous tourist destination, has been the scene of an insurgency by his followers since 2007.