Suspected Talibans have kidnapped an Indian driver and three of his Afghan colleagues working with Border Road Organisation in a highway construction project in southern Afghanistan's Nimroz province on Saturday night.
B R Kutty and the Afghans, who were working on a road-building project between southern city of Kandahar and Herat in western Afghanistan, were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen after their vehicle was ambushed from Khash Road district of the province.
"They have been kidnapped but we don't know who the kidnappers are," Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Rakesh Sood told PTI over phone from Kabul.
He said the Indian embassy was in touch with Afghan government and Afghan agencies were investigating the matter and exploring all leads to ensure their safe release. Afghan interior ministry also confirmed the abduction but said the identity of the abductors was not known.
A man claiming to be a spokesman of Taliban told an international news agency by satellite phone that they have kidnapped the Indian.
When his attention was drawn to the report that the Talibans were involved in the kidnapping, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said in Delhi, "We have seen the reports and if they are true, we condemn the incident and urge that all persons should be released immediately unharmed."
