Turkish engineer kidnapped in eastern Afghanistan: police

The unidentified man was captured Thursday as he was returning to his guesthouse in the eastern town of Khost, provincial police chief Abdul Qayoum Baqizoi told AFP.Â

 

It was not known who had captured him or why, the official said.

 

The engineer had been working on building a hospital in the area.

 

Khost, which is close to the border with Pakistan, has seen a surge in Taliban attacks in recent months.

 

While militants have carried out dozens of kidnappings, other groups including professional gangs have also abducted people for ransom.

 

Afghanistan is gripped by an insurgency led by the Taliban, who were in government between 1996 and 2001. Thousands of mostly US troops are based here to help the authorities fight the extremists.

 

Photo is an achive image.