N.Y. Times reporter freed in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A New York Times reporter captured by Taliban forces in Afghanistan Saturday was freed during a military commando raid Wednesday, the newspaper said.

Stephen Farrell's interpreter, however, was killed during the operation, the newspaper said.

Farrell, 46, and his interpreter, Sultan Munadi, were abducted Saturday morning in a village where NATO warplanes had carried out airstrikes that targeted two fuel tankers Friday. Afghan officials have said the airstrikes killed as many as 90 people, many of them civilians.

As Farrell and Munadi interviewed several people near the wreckage of the fuel tankers they were warned that Taliban forces were coming and then saw militants armed with machine guns rushing toward them, the Times said.

Farrell said he heard British and Afghan voices just before he was freed in a firefight during which Munadi was fatally shot.

The Times said it could not confirm a report that civilians -- including women and children -- were killed in the firefight.

Farrell told a Times colleague in Kabul he was in a room when his Taliban captors ran from what was "obviously a raid."

"We thought they would kill us," he said. "We thought should we go out."

He said Munadi shouted: "Journalist! Journalist!" just before he was shot.