Armed telebans kidnapped twenty passengers from a bus in the western Afghan province of Farah. Jamila Amini, from the provincial council of Farah, reported that the ambush was carried out by the Taliban along the road connecting Kabul to Herat. At present, no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Among the passengers seized could be three or four former policemen or government employees. Amini also reported that tribal elders in the area and local authorities are working to secure the release of the abducted passengers. Last month, the Taliban killed five people in Ghazni province after dragging them out of the vehicle they were traveling in. The militiamen have set up several illegal checkpoints across the country, where they stop and search envoys in search of government employees, members of the security forces and international organizations. Over the past two years, hundreds of travelers have been kidnapped and dozens have been killed by the Taliban, a tactic used to intimidate the Afghan government and its allies.
