New Delhi, Mar 7 (UNI) Adding a new and a dangerous dimension to global terrorism, Taliban has kidnapped two top Pakistani nuclear scientists and are holding them in custody raising the spectre of a nuclear threat, a television channel reported tonight.

A press release issued by Zee television said the two scientists of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) ''are currently in Taliban custody''.

The two were working at PAECs facility in the North West Frontier Province. They were kidnapped about six months ago, the release said.

To avoid international embarrassment, Pakistan government had kept this information under wraps, according to the press release.

The channel reported that the nuclear scientists have been kidnapped by Taliban at the behest of Al-Qaeda. Further investigations revealed that the Al-Qaeda may be using the expertise of the scientists to produce nuclear bombs, the release said.

They are reportedly being held somewhere in Waziristan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

In January, Pakistan security agencies had foiled another attempt by Taliban militia to kidnap nuclear scientists. Earlier, incidents of Taliban militia stealing uranium in the NWFP have already been reported. PAEC also has a uranium mining facility in the NWFP.

With repeated Al-Qaeda threats to the US, news of kidnapping of nuclear scientists will increase the Washington pressure on Pakistan to attack terrorist's camps, the channel reported.

UNI