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1st LD Writethru: Unknown armed men abduct 13 passengers in N. Afghanistan

Xinhua, April 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Unknown armed men intercepted several passenger vehicles in Saripul province with Saripul city as its capital, 350 km north of Kabul and abducted 13 travelers on Wednesday, a member of Saripul provincial council, Hayatullah Alamai said.

"The ill-fated passengers were going from provincial capital the Saripul city to Balkhab district Wednesday morning when a group of armed people, presumably Taliban militants intercepted their vehicles in Damarda area and took 13 passengers to unknown locations," Alami told Xinhua.

He didn't provide more details.

Another provincial council member in Saripul province, Ghulam Nabi Khuram also confirmed the incident and in talks with Xinhua pointed finger at the Taliban outfit for the abduction.

In a similar incident couple of days ago, unknown armed men kidnapped four persons in the neighboring Balkh province and their fate is still unknown.

Previously in late February, unidentified armed men abducted 31 passengers in the southern Zabul province and the government has yet to secure their release. Endi