Pakistani armed tribesmen on Wednesday kidnapped 40 passengers in a bus heading to Afghanistan to demand release of their relatives arrested in Afghanistan earlier this month.
The Pakistan-Afghan Friendship Bus was heading to the eastern city of Jalalabad, the capital of Ningrahar province in Afghanistan, when hijacked tribesmen at Zakhakhel area of Khyber agency, the News Network International news agency reported.
Witnesses said the driver was held at gun-point by the tribesmen and was forced to go to an unknown destination.
All the passengers were stated to be Afghan nationals. Kidnappers said the Afghan authorities had arrested three Pakistani tribesmen 20 days ago.
Pakistan and Afghanistan last year launched the friendship bus between Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's northwest frontier province and Jalalabad to facilitate the people.
The local authorities started search of the hijacked bus to seek release of the hostages.
Source:Xinhua
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