Suspected Taliban militants kidnap Afghan intelligence chief

"Our intelligence chief, Haji Ahmadullah and two of his bodyguards have been kidnapped by Taliban while driving to the provincial capital Tarin Kowt from a mission in neighbouring districts," a security official who asked not to be named.

The official said that the three men were kidnapped on Thursday and are believed to have been taken to remote Shah Wali Kot district, a southern mountainous area believed to be the main hideout for Taliban remnants in Uruzgan.

Speaking by satellite phone from Tarin Kowt, the official said the kidnappers had not made any contact with government authorities but added "We expect them to contact us at any moment."

Uruzgan, where US-led coalition soldiers have recently come under attack from militants, is an area where Taliban and other insurgents are believed to be active and have a strong local following.

The official said that Taliban operatives, including Mullah Abdul Razaq, were believed to be behind the kidnappings.

Abdul Razaq, formerly a high-ranking Taliban official during the 1996-2001 fundamentalist regime, has been blamed for much of the unrest in Uruzgan, some 360 KM southwest of capital Kabul.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_673605,00050004.htm