Advertisement

American working in Afghanistan kidnapped in Kabul

By Andrew V. Pestano
Afghan security officials said an American living in Kabul was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Sunday. File Photo by Hossein Fatemi/UPI
Afghan security officials said an American living in Kabul was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Sunday. File Photo by Hossein Fatemi/UPI | License Photo

June 19 (UPI) -- Afghan security officials said unknown gunmen kidnapped a U.S. citizen living in Kabul while he was on his way to work.

The gunmen kidnapped the American in Kabul's Karte Char district on Sunday, Khaama Press reported. No group has yet taken responsibility for taking the man, whose name has yet to be released.

Advertisement

The American kidnapped was first identified as an employee working on a World Bank project with the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture but World Bank spokesman Alex Ferguson later denied the claim.

"No World Bank staff have been kidnapped," Ferguson told ABC News in an email. "Our understanding is that these reports refer to an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock who is working for the National Horticulture and Livestock Project, which is funded by a World Bank managed trust fund."

The kidnapping follows a similar incident in August in which an American and an Australian professor for the American University of Afghanistan were kidnapped by the Taliban in Kabul.

In January, the Taliban released a video in which the two teachers appear -- possibly under duress -- to urge U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate for their release.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines