Seven of the 47 bus passengers kidnapped by the Taliban in northern Kunduz province were rescued by Afghan security forces, officials said on Wednesday.
Local authorities said the militants kidnapped the passengers from a 404-model bus in the Bagh-i-Amir area of Kunduz province at 7:30am. The bus, heading to Takhar, was stopped by the rebels.
Kunduz Governor Asadullah Omarkheltold reporters seven of the hostages were rescued by security forces.
He said all-out efforts were underway to free all the passengers. The government had taken special measures for preventing such incidents in the future, he added.
Omarkhel called for residents to cooperate with security forces in the rescue operation. The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.
Last week, 200 people were kidnapped and a dozen of them killed later on. Many have already been released as a result of intervention from tribal elders. But eight are still in Taliban’s captivity.
By Ajmal Kakar
