Afghan officials: Gunmen abduct 12 de-miners in the east

KABUL – Afghan officials say gunmen have abducted a team of 12 mine-clearing workers in eastern Kunar province.

Walayut Khan Moshwani, head of the provincial council in Kunar, says the de-miners belong to a local de-mining organization called AREA.

He says both local government officials and tribal elders are in negotiations to get the men freed form their abductors.

Abdul Shakoor Yusoufi, the AREA director, says the 12 included 10 de-miners, a team leader and a doctor. He says they were abducted in Kunar’s Dara-e Pech district.

No one has claimed responsibility for the abduction but Moshwani is blaming the Islamic State group, which has been active in the province.

Both the Taliban and IS operate in eastern Afghanistan, especially in Nangarhar provinces and in some parts of Kunar province.