KABUL, Afghanistan, April 15 (UPI) -- Afghan Deputy Minister of Public Works Ahmad Shah Wahid was abducted Tuesday in northwest Kabul while on his way into work.
According to the Ministry of Interior, four armed men in another vehicle opened fire on the minister's car, injured the driver, and abducted the deputy minister.
A local mechanic witnessed the attack and told the BBC: "I saw a vehicle with four or five men blocking the vehicle of the deputy minister and than they opened fire injuring his driver. I saw them dragging the deputy minister and took him with them. Everyone ran when there was shooting."
The interior ministry suspects the abduction was criminally-motivated and not an insurgent act by the Taliban. Kidnapping for ransom is not uncommon in Afghanistan.
It is unclear why the deputy minister's security detail was not with him at the time of the attack.
An investigation is underway to locate the deputy minister.
[BBC]
