This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7009876.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Two Italians freed in Afghan raid | Two Italians freed in Afghan raid |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Two Italian soldiers who were kidnapped in western Afghanistan have been released during a military operation, the Italian defence ministry says. | Two Italian soldiers who were kidnapped in western Afghanistan have been released during a military operation, the Italian defence ministry says. |
| It said both men were injured and one of them was reported to be in a serious condition. They were being treated at a Nato hospital, a spokesman said. | It said both men were injured and one of them was reported to be in a serious condition. They were being treated at a Nato hospital, a spokesman said. |
| The two were seized while travelling in the western province of Herat. | The two were seized while travelling in the western province of Herat. |
| An Afghan driver and interpreter who were with the soldiers had returned to Herat on Sunday. | An Afghan driver and interpreter who were with the soldiers had returned to Herat on Sunday. |
| 'Critical' | |
| An Italian embassy source in Kabul told the BBC, "The Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) launched an operation in the early hours of the morning to rescue the two soldiers who had been kidnapped on Saturday. | |
| "Both the soldiers are wounded, one of them is critical," he said. | |
| It is not clear who abducted the soldiers, the official said. | |
| The Italian soldiers and their Afghan driver and interpreter had driven through a police checkpoint in the Shindand district of Herat province on Saturday before all contact was lost, Afghan police said. | |
| The Italian defence ministry said the military personnel were "carrying out liaison activities with local civilian authorities". | |
| The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kabul says western Afghanistan is a relatively safe area, but Shindand district has become more volatile as it borders a province where the militant insurgency has been on the rise. | |
| Italy has more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, many of them based in the west. |