Aybak (Afghanistan), Apr 11 (IANS): Taliban militants abducted 60 truck drivers in Afghanistan's Samanghan province on Thursday, officials said.
"Taliban insurgents abducted 60 drivers of trucks on a road linking Dara-e-Suf district of Samangan province to the neighbouring Balkh's provincial capital Mazar-e-Sharif city and took them to unknown location," head of Provincial Council Hajji Raz Mohammad Moahidi told Xinhua news agency.
He said that the militants had in the past imposed 7,000 Afghani ($93) as monthly tax on each truck driver and warned to punish them if they fail to pay the imposed tax.
Provincial police spokesman Mohamamed Hashim Bayan confirmed the incident and added that the police had launched operations to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted men.