Taliban militants kidnap dozens in N. Afghanistan after govt announces ceasefire

Taliban insurgents kidnapped dozens of passengers after stopping three buses in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province, a government official said on Monday. The incident came a day after the government announced a ceasefire with the Islamist militants, Reuters reported. The kidnapping happened on Monday morning when three buses were coming from Takhar province to the capital, Kabul, said Esmatullah Muradi, a spokesman for the Kunduz governor. “The buses were stopped by the Taliban fighters, passengers were forced to step down and they have been taken to an undisclosed location,” he said. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani declared a provisional three-month ceasefire with the Taliban on Sunday to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday.