2 foreigners abducted by Kabul gunmen

Five gunmen, wearing Afghan military uniforms, have abducted an American and an Australian in the Afghan capital, Kabul, a security official said on Monday. The two foreigners were taken from their SUV while they were driving on Sunday night on a main road near the American University of Afghanistan, according to Afghan interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

They are believed to be employees of the university and were travelling between the university and their residence, he said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Sediqqi also added that initial reports show that up to five armed men stopped the foreigners’ vehicle and carried out the kidnapping. The two abducted are both men, he said, not revealing any more details except that an investigation was underway.

Australia’s department of foreign affairs and Trade issued a statement confirming “the apparent kidnapping of an Australian in Kabul”.

“Due to privacy and security considerations we will not be commenting further. We continue to advise Australians not to travel to Afghanistan because of the extremely dangerous security situation, including the serious threat of kidnapping,” the statement said.

Senior staff at the university in Kabul could not immediately be reached for comment. Three other foreigners who were kidnapped in Kabul over the past year have all been released, including an Indian woman, Judith D’Souza, who was freed last month after being held for more than a month. An Australian woman, Kerry Wilson, was abducted in the eastern city of Jalalabad in April.