Afghanistan: Taliban take more than 100 people, including women and children, hostage in an ambush in north, reports AP

Taliban take more than 100 people, including women and children, hostage in an ambush in the north, reports AP quoting Afghanistan officials. Afghanistan officials claim the Taliban have taken around 100 people, including women and children, hostage in an ambush in the country’s north.

However, this incident comes front despite President Ashraf Ghani’s call for a cease-fire with the Taliban during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. According to reports in Washington Post, Mohammad Yusouf Ayubi, the head of the provincial council in Kunduz province believes the Taliban were spying for government employees or members of the security troops.

Ayubi said the insurgents stopped the three buses on the road on Monday near Khan Abad district and reportedly abducted the passengers.

Meanwhile, Police chief, Abdul Rahman Aqtash, from neighbouring Takhar province, says the passengers taken hostage were from Badakhshan and Takhar provinces, who were travelling to the capital, Kabul.

However, Taliban has not yet made any comment of the matter but the area of the incident is under Taliban control.

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