Taliban militants have kidnapped over 50 Afghan police in the eastern Kunar province, provincial police chief Gen. Khalilullah Ziayi said on Sunday.
The militants ambushed the men on Saturday evening in the Chapa Dara district when the police were travelling in Kunar from the neighboring Nuristan province. The police were divided into small groups and taken in an unknown direction.
The local private TV channel Tolo reported, however, that most of the police were recruits who had just finished their training to join the Afghan National Police.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on Sunday that the captured policemen were the Taliban's captives and their fate would be decided by the Shura, the Taliban's supreme council.
He said, however, that many captives could be released if they publicly pledged never to cooperate with the Afghan government and police.
Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent months, with the Taliban group, which was toppled in a 2001 U.S.-led campaign, staging regular attacks on provincial government officials, police and civilians and planting roadside bombs to target Afghan, U.S. and NATO troops.
KABUL, March 27 (RIA Novosti)
