“With release of senior government officials, the Taliban will be encouraged to take hostages, plus there are still some foreigners with the Taliban,” political analyst Jawed Kohistani, once a cabinet official in the Karzai government, told Afghanistan’s Tolo News after the swap for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was announced. “This is a great benefit to the Taliban, it will have a negative impact on the peace talks process, and will encourage Taliban to increase their resistance in Afghanistan.” The Taliban wasted no time:
Taliban have abducted an Indian from Herat province Monday afternoon. Taliban had earlier attacked Indian consulate in the province. #AFG
— Mohsin Jamal (@Mohsin_Jam) June 2, 2014
BREAKING: Suspected Taliban gunmen have kidnapped an Indian aid worker in Herat in Afghanistan. — Pierre Fitter (@pierrefitter) June 2, 2014
Taliban kidnaps Indian aid worker at Herat. — Priti (@pritiriyer) June 2, 2014
Rt”@AfPak_Journo: BREAKING: #Taliban abducts head of an Indian charity organization in Herat province on Monday afternoon, local officials.
— islamuddin sajid (@islamudinsajid) June 2, 2014
Details are still coming in, but Khaama Press said the Indian national was working for an NGO in Herat province.
“A local security official in Zenda Jan district said the incident took place on Monday afternoon while the aid worker was visiting the area to assess the work of a project,” reported the news agency.
In late May, four gunmen were killed when they tried to storm the Indian consulate in Herat.
The Taliban vowed in a statement over the weekend that since they got five of their commanders back in a swap for the U.S. hostage, they would henceforth be “determined to get all the Mujahidin prisoners released as soon as possible.”
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