Afghanistan on Monday assured India that the country’s security forces will secure the release of the seven Indians who were abducted in Baghlan province on Sunday.
“At the outset, Foreign Minister [Salahuddin] Rabbani expressed grief and sorrow over the abduction of Indian engineers in Baghlan province and said that the Afghan security forces will not spare any efforts to protect the physical safety and secure the release of these engineers,” the statement read, according to The Indian Express. “He also mentioned that efforts have been initiated through the community elders to help secure their release.”
The foreign ministry’s statement came a day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke to Rabbani about the abduction. “Rabbani, in the conversation, assured the Indian external affairs minister that the Afghan security forces would not spare any efforts in rescuing and ensuring the security and safety of the engineers,” the statement added.
The Indians were employed as engineers at KEC International, an RPG group company, and were working on a project for the construction of a power sub-station in Baghlan. Afghan media reported that Taliban commander Qari Nooruddin had kidnapped the Indians from Bagh-e-Shamal area of Pul-e-Khumri on Sunday.
Baghlan Governor Abdulhai Nemati told Tolo News that the abductors had moved the KEC employees to Dand-e-Shahabuddin area. This is the third case of abduction of Indians in Afghanistan in the last four years.
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