Taliban fighters in the southern Afghan province of Helmand stopped vehicles and detained at least 25 people, officials said on Tuesday, as the insurgents continued a series of abductions on Afghanistan's highways over the past few weeks.
Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand, said 18 women and children were released by the Taliban after the group's fighters stopped a number of buses and cars near the town of Gereshk, on the main highway linking Kabul with the south.
He said 25 men had been taken away and were being held by the Taliban. Police and army forces were searching for the men.
A Taliban spokesman said in a statement 27 people had been taken from three buses and were currently being investigated.
The kidnappings follow a series of similar incidents in other parts of the country, underlining the precarious security on Afghanistan's main highways, which are vital lifelines in a country where many cannot afford to travel by air.