NY Times journo abducted
2009-09-05 18:12
Afghanistan - A New York Times journalist visiting the site of the deadly Nato airstrike in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz was kidnapped along with his Afghan interpreter on Saturday, the provincial governor said.
The journalist, who went to talk to villagers in Omarkhel village in the Chardarah district was kidnapped by Taliban militants, Mohammad Omar, the provincial governor, told the German Press Agency dpa.
"The journalist, who works for the New York Times, and his translator were blindfolded by the militants and taken to an unknown location" the governor said, adding that Afghan security forces have begun a search operation in the area to track down the kidnappers.
He said the Afghan army soldiers found the journalist's abandoned vehicle in the area.
A Taliban commander in Chardarah district confirmed to dpa that their fighters caught the journalist along with his translator in Easakhel village of the district on Saturday morning.
He said the Taliban leadership would decide on their fate.
A Nato-led airstrike struck two Taliban-hijacked fuel trucks early on Friday, killing "scores" of civilians, according to villagers.
The German military, which is the lead nation in the province, said those killed were Taliban insurgents, while Afghan police admitted that a number of civilians were also killed. An investigation is under way in the province.
- SAPA