Taliban Militants Abduct Passengers Of 3 Buses In Northern Afghanistan - Reports

The Taliban movement kidnapped passengers traveling on three buses in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, local media reported on Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2018) The Taliban movement kidnapped passengers traveling on three buses in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, local media reported on Monday.

The TOLOnews broadcaster reported, citing a member of the Afghan Passenger Bus Union, that the buses were carrying around 170 people.

The 1TV broadcaster, in turn, noted, citing provincial police officer Safiullah Mahzon, that the buses were on their way from the northeastern Takhar province to the Afghan capital of Kabul when they had been stopped by the Taliban militants who subsequently abducted the passengers.

Fighting between the Taliban and the security forces that were dispatched to the area is reportedly underway.

The incident follows the announcement of a ceasefire with Taliban by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to mark the upcoming Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday. The president said the truce would begin on Monday and would last for three months. Ghani noted, however, that the ceasefire would only be in place if the Taliban adheres to it.

In June, the two sides declared a ceasefire timed to the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The government then prolonged the duration of the truce. The Taliban, however, did not follow suit.