‘Zabul hostages in captivity of foreign insurgents’

QALAT (Pajhwok): The 30 passengers kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in southern Zabul province were said to be under detention of militants of foreign origin and the negotiations to secure their release have not yielded any result yet, tribal elders said on Saturday.

Last Tuesday, unidentified gunmen stopped a 303 model bus and kidnapped 30 passengers in Shah Joy district of Zabul on Kabul-Kandahar Highway. But only one of them who was the resident of Maidan Wardak province was released two days after the incident.

Provincial officials had tasked a group of elders and influential figures to Khak Afghan district of Zabul where the passengers were kept, to negotiate the release of detainees.

Haji Shahabuddin, member of the elders’ delegation, told Pajhwok Afghan News that their efforts ended without any result. He said they had reached the area but were not allowed to meet with captors or hostages.

“Local militants told us that they would give us information five days later and would clear the fate of the captive passengers,” Shahabuddin said, adding that local rebels assured to reach an agreement with foreign insurgents.

Shah Joy district police Chief Mohammadullah said that their efforts to release the passengers were underway but their efforts did not achieve any progress.

Taliban did not comment on the incident so far despite Pajhwok Afghan News repeated efforts to get the version of the insurgent’s group.

mds/rm

Visits: 0