Kabul: An Afghan police official says that a
group of Iranian road construction workers kidnapped earlier
this week in western Afghanistan have been released.
Farah province police chief Gen Sayed Mohammad says 13
Iranians have been set free, along with two Afghan workers.
The Iranian government had reported 12 of its citizens
captured on Monday. The reason for the discrepancy in numbers
was not clear.
Mohammad says three men were released late yesterday
night and the rest today. He says no conditions were put on
their release and no ransom was paid. He says elders in the
community persuaded Taliban insurgents to let the workers go.
The Taliban had previously threatened to kill the
hostages if the company, Jahidi Nasri Tehran, did not stop
work on the road.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 00:51