Militants kidnap 7 passengers on Farah-Herat highway

FARAH CITY (Pajhwok): Seven passengers were kidnapped by militants on the Farah-Herat highway in western Farah province on Saturday, an official said.

Esmatullah, a passenger and eyewitness, said the Taliban stopped a passenger vehicle and took hostage seven people in the Kenisk area of Bala Baluk district.

He told Pajhwok Afghan News the Taliban, who had blocked the road, stopped the passenger bus and took the abductees to an unknown location.

Meanwhile, Col. Gulbahar Mujahid, provincial deputy police chief, confirmed the road was blocked. However, he was unaware of the passengers’ abduction.

Militants occasionally block Kabul- Farah and Farah-Herat highway in Kenisk and Shamalgah areas of Farah and take suspected individuals hostage.

The Taliban have blocked this route three times over the past two weeks, seizing 36 passengers. Some of the hostages were killed and others released, with a number still in captivity.

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