Pakistan authorities say 21 of the 23 tribal paramilitaries kidnapped by militants Thursday near the city of Peshawar have been found shot dead.

Officials say two of the paramilitaries survived. They say one was found alive, but wounded and has been admitted to a hospital. The other one managed to escape from his captors.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.

Regional government spokesman Naveed Akbar Khan said officials found the bodies early Sunday in the Jabai area of the Frontier Region near Peshawar.

The paramilitaries were taken early Thursday when heavily armed militants attacked two checkpoints in Khyber Paktunkhwa province.