Kidnapped Afghan election staff freed by Taliban

Kidnapped Afghan election staff freed by Taliban

Election victor will be at centre-stage of efforts

Story highlights

The abducted persons were released without any ransom. However, some negotiation talks were done by the tribal leaders and the local elders with the Taliban

Five people kidnapped by Taliban from voter registration in Afghanistan were freed on Thursday.

The abducted persons were released without any ransom. However, some negotiation talks were done by the tribal leaders and the local elders with the Taliban.

Kidnapped people includes three employees of Independent Election Commission (IEC) and two policemen. They were abducted from the Taliban-controlled area of Ghor after gunmen attacked the voter registration centre.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Voting will continue after security officials give the green light.

The attack raised concerns about the security in the war-torn area's upcoming legislative elections which are scheduled for October 20.

On Tuesday, armed men stormed the voter registration centre while the staff was registering voters. They destroyed voters' documents and kidnapped 3 three employees of Independent Election Commission and two policemen.

The attack was condemned by the United States as it hoped the process to continue peacefully.

Last weekend Afghanistan started registering voters as it seeks to ensure fraud-free and credible elections.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani also urged religious leaders to encourage worshippers coming to the mosques to register themselves and their family members.

The IEC has also acknowledged the security concerns and said that ensuring security in voter registration centre would be a major challenge, especially in rural areas.