ISLAMABAD - PAKISTANI Taleban said on Tuesday they had kidnapped two Chinese telecommunications engineers and two Pakistanis and said abductions would continue until the government stopped attacking militants.

The two Chinese and a Pakistani driver and guard, disappeared near the Afghan border on Friday when they were returning to a guest house after repairing a telecommunications tower.

China is a staunch ally of Pakistan's and a major investor and the safety of Chinese nationals is a priority for any Pakistani government.

A Taleban spokesman based in the Swat Valley, to the east of Dir, claimed responsibility and said the four were in good health.

'Our aim is to hit the government's interests wherever they are. We kidnap everyone irrespective of whether he's Pakistani or Chinese and we'll continue to do this until they stop killing our people,' the spokesman, Muslim Khan, said by telephone.

Police launched a search for the four on Monday in the mountainous region.

Al Qaeda and Taleban-linked militants have targeted Chinese nationals in Pakistan's north-west in the past.

Two Chinese engineers working on a hydro-electric project were kidnapped by militants in October 2004. One of the hostages and a militant commander were killed in a rescue operation.

The government has announced a suspension of military operations in the north-west for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which began on Tuesday, though a top official said security forces would respond with full force if attacked. -- REUTERS