After vast condemnations and protests against government for not taking actions to secure the release of civilians abducted in southern Zabul province, President Ghani made it clear on Monday that government is not relaxing and it is strictly working on the issue.
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani during his two days official visit to Iran told Afghan students that government so far has spent $6 million on the operations and efforts being made for releasing the abductees from the kidnappers.
President Ghan said that the operations conducted for these abductees were the biggest ever operations of security forces in past 14 years.
He added that 69 terrorists were killed during these operations but second Vice-President Mohammad Sarwar Danish had earlier said that over 100 members of the group responsible for the kidnapping were killed in the operation.
The 31 passengers were abducted on Kabul-Kandahar highway from the jurisdiction of Shah Joy District in southern Zabul province about two months before.
Local elders who are mediating the release with kidnappers say that kidnappers are asking government to set free their people in exchange for the abductees.
At Jan Haqbayan, head of the provincial council of Zabul who is one of the mediators say that kidnappers have killed one of the abductees and one another has died his own death in the custody.
