KABUL: A US security contractor has been kidnapped in eastern Afghanistan,an official confirmed Thursday, the latest instance of a foreigner beingtaken in the war-torn country where abductions are common.
An Afghan security official with knowledge of the incident told AFP theformer US Navy member had been working in Afghanistan as a contractor whenhe was abducted last week in eastern Khost province.
There was no indication whether a militant group or a criminal organisationwas behind the kidnapping, while the Taliban told AFP they had “noinformation” about the matter.
The incident comes after the Taliban in November handed two Westernhostages over to US forces in southern Afghanistan, three years after theywere abducted, in a swap for three high-ranking insurgent prisoners.
The US State Department said it was aware of reports of the kidnapping, butdeclined to comment further.
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The exchange of American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks for themilitants — including Anas Haqqani, brother to the Taliban´s deputy leader– was widely believed to be instrumental in kick-starting stalled talksbetween the two sides.
The Taliban later described the exchange as “a step forward in good-willand confidence-building measures that can aid the peace process”.
The kidnapping of Afghans and foreigners for ransom is common acrossAfghanistan where swathes of the country are infested with militant groupsor criminal gangs. -APP/AFP
