Local sources in Baghlan province say that Taliban intelligence agents have kidnapped two tribal elders from Khost district of the province.
These sources told the media on Wednesday, June 4, that the Taliban had taken Mullah Baz and Commander Qayyum from the Ferghanbal Valley in the Khost district yesterday.
According to the sources, the Taliban arrested the two on charges of possessing weapons and collaborating with the group’s opponents.
However, local residents say that Mullah Baz and Commander Qayyum had no connection with the opposition groups and were going about their normal lives.
A number of local residents claim that the Taliban kidnapped these individuals only for the purpose of extortion and blackmail.
They also added that the two were kidnapped by the Taliban last year and were released after paying money and handing over several miles of weapons.
In the past four years, the Taliban have repeatedly arrested residents of Khost district, Baghlan province, on various pretexts and taken money and weapons from them.
