Taliban kidnap dozens of bus passengers

Taliban militants have kidnapped dozens of people who were on their way in three buses in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz.

A governor spokesman said the fighters forced the vehicles to stop and allowed the passengers to disembark. They were taken to an undisclosed spot.

Afghan president Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday that because of the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice a file had been promulgated with the Taliban. That would be Monday. It remained unclear whether the insurgents would actually lay down the weapons temporarily. However, they promised to release hundreds of prisoners.