External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has requested the Afghan government to provide all possible help in freeing the seven Indian engineers abducted by Taliban militants in the restive northern Baghlan province.
Sushma, during a telephonic conversation with her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani, conveyed India’s concerns about the abducted Indians and requested him for help in tracing and freeing them, official sources said.
They said the Afghan foreign minister assured Sushma that his government would make all possible efforts to rescue the engineers.
“Rabbani, in the conversation, assured the Indian external affairs minister that Afghan security forces would not spare any efforts in rescuing and ensuring the security and safety of the engineers,” the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
According to Afghan media reports, the engineers were abducted by militants from near the Cheshma-e-Sher area in Baghlan on Sunday.
The Indian engineers of KEC International, an RPG group company, were working on a project for the construction of a power substation in the country.
The Pajhwok Afghan News quoted provincial police spokesman Zabiullah Shuja as saying that those abducted were in good health, citing initial information. He also said authorities were trying to find their location and rescue them.
India has been carrying reconstruction activities in the war-torn country. It has already provided at least $2 billion aid to Afghanistan. BY DC
