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Two Italians freed in Afghan raid Two Italians freed in Afghan raid
(about 9 hours later)
Two Italian soldiers who were kidnapped in western Afghanistan have been released during a military operation, the Italian defence ministry says. The Nato-led force in Afghanistan, Isaf, says it has freed two Italian soldiers and their translator who were kidnapped on Saturday.
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. They were kidnapped in the western province of Herat and taken to neighbouring Farah province.
The two were seized while travelling in the western province of Herat. Isaf says the captives were injured and all the kidnappers were killed in the rescue operation.
An Afghan driver and interpreter who were with the soldiers had returned to Herat on Sunday. Two Spanish soldiers have been killed in Farah and unconfirmed reports say 36 people have died in other incidents.
'Critical' Not known
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. Isaf said the Italian-led rescue mission early on Monday gave rise to a fire fight resulting in the death of all the kidnappers, who it said were eight or nine in number.
"Both the soldiers are wounded, one of them is critical," he said. It said both Italians were wounded, one seriously, as was their translator.
It is not clear who abducted the soldiers, the official said. An Isaf spokesman said it was not known what had happened to their other Afghan colleague, the driver.
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 four were held and freed in Farah, an increasingly volatile province of western Afghanistan.
The Italian defence ministry said the military personnel were "carrying out liaison activities with local civilian authorities". It is not clear who the kidnappers were. Taleban rebels say they were not involved.
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. Also in Farah province, two Spanish soldiers and their Iranian translator were killed in a roadside bomb attack, according to the Spanish government.
Italy has more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, many of them based in the west. Three of their colleagues were seriously wounded.
Separately, Afghan government officials say 36 people have died in two ambush incidents in Farah province and in the north-east of the country.
They say those killed include 21 Taleban insurgents, but the figures have not been confirmed.