2 UN staff arrested by Afghan intel agency

Two staff members of the United Nations mission in Afghanistan have been arrested by the country's intelligence agency, the world body told AFP on Tuesday, adding that it had no access to them for two days.

"We confirm that two Afghan UNAMA male staff members were detained by officials of the de facto General Directorate of Intelligence on Sunday, 9 August," in the western province of Herat, the mission said in a statement.

The Afghan government did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the staff members' special status to be respected. AFP