Afghan Police Chief Says Two Missing Foreigners Not Italian

Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency

Herat, 23 September: Two foreigners have gone missing along with their two Afghan colleagues in a western province of Afghanistan [Herat Province]. Speaking to Afghan Islamic Press [AIP], the anti- crime chief of the Western zone police, Ali Khan, said: “Two foreigners were in two vehicles on the way to Kabul from Herat yesterday when they got in one vehicle in Azizabad area of Shindand District and they went missing after that.”

“An Afghan driver and an interpreter have also gone missing along with them,” added the police chief.

He said the government didn’t have information about them or who they are, where they were going or whether they had been kidnapped along with their Afghan colleagues or some other incident had happened.”

The Shindand District chief said he is unaware of the incident.

Ali Khan said: “It was thought that the missing foreigners were Italian nationals but the Provincial Reconstruction Team later said that they were not Italians. It is not clear where the missing foreigners are from.”

No one has claimed responsibility for the abduction of the two missing foreigners.

Originally published by Afghan Islamic Press news agency, Peshawar, in Pashto 1040 23 Sep 07.

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