US citizen foils Kabul kidnap attempt
A US civilian escaped an attempt to abduct him in the Afghan capital today, throwing himself from a moving car after his armed attackers had forced him into the trunk, officials and witnesses said.
The identity of the attackers and their motive were unclear, but the incident is sure to heighten tension in Kabul, where around 3,000 expatriates live under tight security for fear of attack from Taliban-led militants or renegade militias whom residents accuse of a wave of crime.
The man was walking on a hill overlooking Kabul’s upmarket Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood, home to many embassies, construction companies and government officials, when he was approached by three armed men, district police chief Abdul Khalik told The Associated Press. He said the three forced the victim into the trunk of a white Toyota car and drove off.
Jeff Raleigh, a spokesman for the US Embassy, confirmed that the victim was an American citizen. Mr Raleigh said he was not a US government employee, but had no further details.
“My understanding is the guy got abducted and got away,” he said.
Witnesses and a UN security report circulated to aid workers said the man escaped on the road to Kabul airport by forcing open the truck with a tyre-iron.
An 18-year-old named Hamed said he saw the car brake hard as it approached a busy junction along the road where he has his fruit stall.
“At that moment, I saw a foreign man fall onto the road and roll toward the gutter. His face was so white, he was shaking,” he said. “People immediately ran to help him.”
He said the man, who suffered a graze to his face, was still holding part of the tire tool when police arrived at the scene and ushered him away. The car from which he escaped did not stop.
Authorities including the US Embassy have issued repeated warnings to foreigners living in Kabul that they could be targeted for kidnapping since the abduction of three foreign UN workers in the city last November. The trio were released unharmed a month later.
