AMN
Unidentified armed men abducted six Indians and one Afghan employee of an Indian infrastructure company in Baghlan province today. Media report quoting local officials said, the incident happened in Bagh-e-Shamal village of the provincial capital Pul-e-Khomre.
They were abducted while travelling to the area, where the company owns an electricity sub-station contract. Baghlan provincial council has linked the incident to the Taliban. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction so far.
The Taliban abducted the seven Afghanistan Barishna Sherkat (DABS) workers from Pul-i-Khumri, Baghlan’s capital at noon, reports Pajhwok Afghan News quoting police spokesman Zabihullah Shuja
He said initial information showed the abductees were in good health and police were trying for finding their location and rescue them.
Firozuddin Imaq, the Baghlan provincial council’s deputy head, confirmed the incident and said the Taliban abducted six Indian engineers who were busy installing a substation.
He said the engineers were abducted from Dand-i-Ghori area, only five kilometers from the governor’s house.
An eyewitness, who wished to go unnamed, said a number of armed men stopped a white colored car on the Pul-i-Khumri-Mazar-i-Sharif highway and took away all its passengers.
The eyewitness did not know how many people were in the car, but said the militants took the Indians to their mini bus type vehicle towards areas under their control.
Eng. Shakil, a DABS worker in Baghlan, said the engineers had arrived from Kabul to Baghlan for repair work.
He said efforts were underway to secure the release of the abducted engineers.
There has been no word so far from the Taliban.