10 Iranian Engineers Kidnapped in Afghanistan

Ten Iranian engineers and five of their Afghan colleagues were kidnapped by Taliban gunmen on Monday in a remote western region of Afghanistan near the border with Iran, an official said.

The men, who were working on a road construction project, were snatched at gunpoint in the Post-i-Road district of Farah province, which borders Iran, provincial government spokesman Naqibullah Farahi told Agence France Presse.

"The engineers were kidnapped from Post-i-Road district of Farah province by the Taliban," he said.

Taliban spokesman Yusuf Ahmadi told AFP by telephone that the insurgent group had no knowledge of the kidnapping, although the rebels have been responsible for similar abductions in the past.

Farah is a remote province which borders Iran and faces significant Taliban activity.

Foreign workers are frequently held by kidnappers in Afghanistan, often for ransom.

Criminal groups and insurgents have held several dozen foreigners in the war-torn country since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion ousted the Taliban.

Most of the hostages are released unharmed following negotiations.

Two French journalists from state-owned channel France 3 remain in captivity after being kidnapped east of Kabul in December 2009 by suspected Islamist insurgents.

There are around 130,000 international troops in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban and other insurgents.