Abducted Italian soldiers freed in Afghanistan

By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL (Reuters) - Two Italian soldiers kidnapped in Afghanistan were freed on Monday during a raid by NATO-led troops, Italian officials said.

The soldiers were wounded during the raid to free them in southwestern Farah province and were taken to hospital, the defence ministry in Rome said.

One of them was in serious condition with gunshot wounds to the head and chest, Italian media reported.

Both men went missing two days ago in neighbouring Herat province.

Sergio De Gregorio, chairman of the defence committee in Italy's Senate, said at least seven of the suspected kidnappers were killed in the raid. NATO in Kabul said all the kidnappers were killed.

An Italian diplomat in Kabul said it was not clear who the abductors were. The police chief for Farah province, Abdul Rahman Sarjang, said he suspected the kidnappers were members of a criminal gang.

Taliban insurgents, who have been behind a series of abductions of Afghans and foreigners in recent months, had said they had not kidnapped the Italians, but the militants are on the run and do not have regular contacts with their comrades.

A NATO spokesman in Kabul, Major Charles Anthony, said the alliance had evidence showing the kidnappers were Taliban.