Seven Indian engineers and an Afghan national working for a power plant in northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan were abducted on Sunday, officials reported.
Zabihullah Shuja, the spokesman for Baghlan police, said the engineers were travelling to a government-run power station in a minibus when unknown armed men kidnapped them and their Afghan driver too.
Two officials at the Indian embassy in Kabul confirmed the kidnapping of the engineers, all working for the Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) that operates power generating stations.
A senior Indian embassy official said over 150 Indian engineers and technical experts are currently working across Afghanistan on large infrastructure projects.
“We are working out ways to ensure the release of our engineers,” an official said.
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It is not known who is responsible for the kidnapping or whether a ransom has been sought for their release.
The kidnapping of locals for extortions are common in Afghanistan. Rampant poverty and rising unemployment have worsened the situation.
In 2016, an Indian aid worker was kidnapped in Kabul. She was released after 40 days.
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