India praises Afghan actions against its consulate employee abductors

NEW DELHI, India on Wednesday said it was happy at the way the Afghanistan authorities swung into action against the abductors of its local employee working in the Consulate General of India (CGI) office in Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province.

A spokesperson of India's External Affairs Ministry said the action was praiseworthy.

"We would like to express our deep gratitude and appreciation, to the Afghan authorities, especially Nangarhar governor Gul Agha Sherzai, the province police chief and the Ministry of Interior in Kabul, for the professionalism, seriousness and alacrity, with which they acted against the abductors,” he said in a statement.

"An investigation is currently ongoing. At this stage precise details of the abduction, search and rescue operation and identity or motive of the abductors are not available, "he said, but thanked the Afghan government for its action.

A local employee, an Afghan, with the Consulate General of India (CGI), Jalalabad was abducted near his home in Jalalabad on Feb. 5 evening in the course of which he received bullet injuries.

"A search and rescue operation was immediately mounted by the Afghan authorities and the abductors were eventually located, in an area near Jalalabad. While a police operation was underway to secure his release, the employee managed to escape on 8th morning," Indian government said in a statement.

"He is currently being treated for his injuries. All possible assistance will be rendered to him by the CGI," the statement said.

On July 7, 2008 the Indian embassy was bombed in Kabul by a suicide attacker killing 58 people and wounding over 140.

At various times in the past years, Indian engineers and other professionals are among many foreigners killed in Afghanistan in terror attacks or abductions.

While India has provided $1.3 billion (58.8bln afghani) in assistance to Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in late 2001, thousands of Indians are working in the rebuilding of the war-ravaged nation.

According to various estimates, about 4,000 Indians are engaged in various construction activities like building of roads, power line and medical facilities across Afghanistan.

By journalist, Sujoy Dhar