Siege and search operation for the recovery of a British national and his local interpreter Wednesday has led to the killing of three Afghan police in the relatively peaceful western Herat province, an official of Interior Ministry said Thursday.

"Armed robbers riding three cars raided USPI Company in Tootchakan area near Shindand of Herat and took away a British engineer along with his Afghan interpreter. Three of police lost their lives when they tried to foil the conspiracy," Dad Mohammad Rasa confirmed.

The abductors, he said had fled towards Zeerkoh, a mountainous area in Shindand.

It is the first time that such incident has been occurred in Shindand, which is famous for its strategically important airport close to Iran border in west Afghanistan.

A continent of US army has been stationed in Shindand since last year.

A delegation, Rasa added, had been sent to Shindand to investigate the issue.

Source: Xinhua