KABUL - While on a two-day state visit to Iran, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told students that the release of 31 hostages is one of his priorities and so far $6 million has been spent on tracking them.

"So far, the government has spent $6 million on the operations and 69 terrorists have been killed in the operation," President Ghani said.

Ghani was rejecting claims that his government has done nothing to secure the release of the hostages. He said that special forces efforts to free them have been one of the most intense operations conducted in the past 14 years.

"I personally have lead the case, the claims that the government is not doing anything about the kidnappers is not true," Ghani added.

However, two months later their fate is still unclear.

Some Zabul MPs have maintained that the hostages have been separated, some transferred to Urozgan and others to Ghazni province. (Tolonews)