Taleban free abducted labourers

The majority of more than 140 civilian labourers abducted in south-west Afghanistan by Taleban insurgents last weekend have been set free.

Rohul Amin, governor of Farah province, said 118 workers had been released and the news was confirmed by a spokesman for the militants.

The Taleban spokesman said the other captives would be released soon.

The workers had been constructing army barracks near the Iranian border when they were seized on Sunday.

Although kidnappings are frequent in Afghanistan, this was one of the largest mass abductions the Taleban have carried out.

"Due to the hard work of the elders who were negotiating with the Taleban, 118 of the workers have been released," Mr Amin told reporters.

The labourers were working for a US construction firm when they were seized from a convoy of buses in the Bara Boluk area.

Taleban spokesman Mullah Wakil told Reuters the kidnapping was meant as a message to deter Afghans from working with the US or Afghan armies.

"We have released 118 of these workers and the rest will be freed soon," he said, speaking by telephone from an unknown location.

One of the newly released labourers, Mohammad Naeem, told AFP news agency they were "very happy" to be heading home.