One of Iranian engineers abducted in Afghanistan released

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

TEHRAN -- One of Iranian engineers who were kidnapped in western Afghanistan was released thanks to the efforts of the Iranian Embassy in Afghanistan, Tehran’s ambassador to Kabul announced on Tuesday.

Unidentified gunmen abducted 12 Iranian engineers in Farah province, located around 700 kilometers away from the capital city of Kabul, on Monday. They were working for a construction company in western Afghanistan and were building a road whose budget is being provided by the Islamic Republic.

“The kidnappers has set one of the abductees free and let the others to have a phone conversation with their families,” Fada-Hossein Maleki told the Mehr News Agency in Kabul on Tuesday.

“We have evidence that the Iranian nationals are in perfect health, and we (Iranian and Afghan officials) will continue our joint efforts to make them all released,” Maleki added.

Afghan provincial government spokesman Naqibullah Farahi told the Mehr News Agency in Herat on Monday that the abduction was carried out by armed members of Taliban on Sunday evening.

However, the Taliban forces have not yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

Maliki said he is holding intensive and fruitful dialogues with Afghan officials in efforts to release the abductees and to that end he was scheduled to meet Afghanistan’s interior minister on Tuesday.

Source: Tehran Times.
Link: http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=239033.