KANDAHAR/CHARIKAR - Taliban militants have freed 13 road construction workers they had abducted in southern Kandahar province and two passengers in central Parwan province, officials said Monday.
About a month back, the Taliban abducted 43 workers of Afghan Sadaqat Road Construction Company during an attack on Spin Boldak-Shorabak road.
Haji Ghausuddin, head of the company, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the rebels had released 13 of their workers after mediation of local elders.
He said their workers were released on Sunday night and all of them were in good health.
The Taliban have promised freeing the remaining 30 captives as well before upcoming Eid-ul-Adha, he said.
Ghausuddin said the Taliban told him his company should have their permission before launching work.
Security officials and Taliban have not yet commented so far about the release of the road construction workers.
Shorabak district is located 230 kilometers south of Kandahar capital near the Durand Line.
Around 90 kilometers of the road from Spin Boldak toShorabak district is in a rundown condition and residents of the area use the road for traveling to Pakistan for shopping. Construction of the road was recently started but the Taliban militants stopped it.
The Taliban not only abducted 43 workers of the company, but also torched 15 construction vehicles that caused around $2 million loss to the company.
The company officials say the Taliban transferred their workers across the Durand Line. The company stopped construction of the road after the incident.
According to another report, the Taliban freed two of nine passengers the group had abducted in Sheikh Ali district of Parwan province.
Abdul Raouf Sarwari, head of sectorial services in Sheikh Ali district, said that militants abducted nine passengers from a car in LaliTangi area of the district on Sunday evening.
He said the passengers en route to Bamayan province belonged different areas of the country.
Afghan security forces engaged the Taliban in a clash for about an hour for releasing the passengers, he added.
The Taliban released two of the passengers belonging to Nangarhar and Logar provinces this morning, he said.
Local elders visited the Taliban seeking release of the rest of captives but the Taliban told them they would investigate the captives and would release them if they were civilians. (Pajhwok)