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KABUL: Taliban militants dragged more than 20 people out of buses on the Baghlan-Kunduz highway near the Pol-e-Khomri city, provincial capital of Baghlan and took them hostage.
Witnesses said Sunday that the incident took place in the Pooza-e-Eshan area some 100 meters from an army base. They said that militants have established a checkpoint in the area and take the hostages to the Dand-e-Shahabuddin area for searching and questioning.
Dand-e-Shahabuddin is controlled by Taliban.
Security officials in Baghlan province said that Taliban have so far dragged more than 20 passengers related to the government and have taken them to unknown places.
The officials said Taliban stop vehicles in the Pooza-e-Eshan area and let them go after serious searching and asking questions from the passengers.
Tareq Aryan, spokesman at the interior ministry, said that Taliban extort passengers, but denied reports that passengers were taken hostage, saying that police have active presence in the area.
Taliban did not comment on the reports.
