Briton kidnapped by Taliban in S. Afghanistan

One Lebanon-origin British citizen was abducted by the Taliban in the border area of Zabul and Ghazni provinces in southeastern Afghanistan, a local official told Xinhua Sunday.

The police received reports on Saturday night, which said one Briton was kidnapped three days ago by some Taliban militants in the border area between Moqur district of Ghazni and Shahjoy district of Zabul, said Noor Mohammad Paktin, Zabul's police chief.

According to initial information, the captive, who worked for a foreign company providing logistic services for the U.S. military, had been taken to Zabul, a haven for Taliban insurgents, Paktin said.

Local police had carried out search operation Sunday, but failed to find the Briton, he added.

Taliban militants have frequently attacked or captured those working for the companies which serve foreign troops in Afghanistan as a warning or punishment.

And on Saturday night, suspected Taliban fighters blocked the road from Kandahar to Kabul for one hour at Hassan Kariz village of Shagoi district in Zabul province.

Afghan police and forces arrived there after receiving reports. The militants shot one civilian and wounded two others during a hasty escape.

Afghanistan has suffered a rise of Taliban-linked violence this year, during which over 1,700 people, mostly Taliban militants, have been killed.

Source: Xinhua