Four Turkish engineers abducted in Afghanistan
Men worked for a firm which built border posts.
KHOST:
Four Turkish engineers working for a construction firm and their Afghan driver were kidnapped on Sunday in eastern Afghanistan, a senior local official told AFP.
The men were abducted in the restive Paktia province as they travelled from a building site in Dand Wa Patan district, which borders Pakistan’s tribal areas, to the provincial capital Gardez.
“Four Turkish engineers and their Afghan driver were kidnapped by unknown gunmen and have been taken to an undisclosed location,” Paktia’s deputy governor Abdul Rahman Mangal told AFP.
“We have deployed security and intelligence organisations. A wide-ranging operation is ongoing in the area but there is no information about the hostages and kidnappers so far.”
Mangal added that the men worked for a firm which built border posts. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the incident.
Criminal groups and insurgents have kidnapped several dozen foreigners in Afghanistan. Most of the hostages are released unharmed following negotiations.
Earlier this month, one Bangladeshi road worker was killed and seven others were taken captive in northern Afghanistan.
Five of them are still being held despite efforts by local police and elders to free them.
Two French journalists from state-owned channel France 3 remain in captivity after being kidnapped east of Kabul a year ago by suspected insurgents.
Turkey, Nato’s only Muslim-majority member, has 1,815 troops in Afghanistan, serving in Jawzjan province in the north, Warak in central Afghanistan and the capital, Kabul.
Turkey’s mission in Afghanistan is limited to patrols and its troops do not take part in combat operations.
Ankara is trying to encourage Afghanistan and Pakistan to cooperate more closely against insurgents.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul hosted talks with his counterparts Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari on Friday in which the three countries agreed to hold joint military drills next year.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2010.
Four Turkish engineers working for a construction firm and their Afghan driver were kidnapped on Sunday in eastern Afghanistan, a senior local official told AFP.
The men were abducted in the restive Paktia province as they travelled from a building site in Dand Wa Patan district, which borders Pakistan’s tribal areas, to the provincial capital Gardez.
“Four Turkish engineers and their Afghan driver were kidnapped by unknown gunmen and have been taken to an undisclosed location,” Paktia’s deputy governor Abdul Rahman Mangal told AFP.
“We have deployed security and intelligence organisations. A wide-ranging operation is ongoing in the area but there is no information about the hostages and kidnappers so far.”
Mangal added that the men worked for a firm which built border posts. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the incident.
Criminal groups and insurgents have kidnapped several dozen foreigners in Afghanistan. Most of the hostages are released unharmed following negotiations.
Earlier this month, one Bangladeshi road worker was killed and seven others were taken captive in northern Afghanistan.
Five of them are still being held despite efforts by local police and elders to free them.
Two French journalists from state-owned channel France 3 remain in captivity after being kidnapped east of Kabul a year ago by suspected insurgents.
Turkey, Nato’s only Muslim-majority member, has 1,815 troops in Afghanistan, serving in Jawzjan province in the north, Warak in central Afghanistan and the capital, Kabul.
Turkey’s mission in Afghanistan is limited to patrols and its troops do not take part in combat operations.
Ankara is trying to encourage Afghanistan and Pakistan to cooperate more closely against insurgents.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul hosted talks with his counterparts Hamid Karzai and Asif Ali Zardari on Friday in which the three countries agreed to hold joint military drills next year.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2010.