GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Ten kidnapped people have been released in the Jaghatu district of southern Ghazni province, an official said on Saturday.
Unidentified gunmen abducted a dozen individuals on last week but two of them managed to escaped from their captors’ custody.
Shafiq Nang, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that local elders played an important role in the release of the 10 individuals.
Provincial council member Hassan Raza Yousafi said: “Ten abducted persons from Hazara community have reached their homes safe and sound.”
Yousafi said: “Civilians and government officials have been kidnapped on the route several times. The government should immediately control the situation.”
Zafar Sharif, a resident of the locality, confirmed the releases and said that they got free at around 8: 00pm and had reached homes.
Noorullah, another resident, said: “Unidentified men covering their faces brought ten persons to our village for few minutes and they left but I could not recognize anyone since they had covered their faces.”
At least seven persons had been abducted by unidentified persons last Thursday and they had been disappeared since then.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid insisted militants did not have any involvement in the abduction of the people. He said Taliban had also started investigations to find who had kidnapped them.
Armed militants kidnapped four residents of the district and later they were brutally killed and left their bodies on the scene in Asfandi area last week.
shah/rm