Afghan officials working with tribal elders to rescue abducted Indian engineers

Authorities in Afghanistan are working with tribal elders to trace and free the seven Indian engineers abducted by Taliban gunmen in the restive northern Baghlan province, media reports said on Monday.

The Pajhwok Afghan News quoted provincial police spokesman Zabiullah Shuja as saying that the abductees were in good health.

He also said authorities were trying to find their location and rescue them.

Shuja said the Indian engineers of KEC International, an RPG group company, were working on a project for the construction of a power sub-station.

They were abducted by the militants from the vicinity of Cheshma-e-Sher area on Sunday while they were going to inspect the project work.

The security officials in the province said efforts are underway by the Afghan forces and the government officials as well as the local tribal elders for the release of the Indian engineers.

An eyewitness, who wished anonymity, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he saw a number of armed men stopping a white coloured car on the Pul-i-Khumri-Mazar-i-Sharif highway.

The eyewitness did not know how many people were in the car, but said the militants took the Indians into their mini bus type vehicle and sped towards areas under their control.

Provincial governor Abdul Nemati said the security forces and the local officials are busy tracking the missing engineers and their driver.

Baghlan Governor had on Sunday said the Taliban terror group had abducted the Indian engineers and their driver, believing they were government employees.

No group has, however, claimed responsibility for the abduction.

In New Delhi, the External Affairs ministry had said that it was in touch with authorities in Afghanistan.

Many of the earlier abductions in Afghanistan have been linked to Taliban.

In 2016, a 40-year-old Indian aid worker Judith D'Souza was kidnapped in Kabul. She was released after 40 days.

India has provided at least US$ 2 billion aid to Afghanistan for the economic development of the war-torn nation.