Two Italian hostages kidnapped in Afghanistan were freed Monday
in a NATO commando raid and in which the hostages were injured, one
seriously, according to the Italian defense ministry.
The Italians, described as military personnel, were taken to a
NATO field hospital for treatment and their families have been
informed of their condition, the ministry said.
The commando attack was said to have been a joint
British-Italian special forces operation in which five or six of
the kidnappers were killed while the NATO forces suffered no
casualties.
The Italians disappeared on Saturday night in Afghanistan's
western province of Herat together with their driver and
interpreter, who later returned on their own.
Italy has 2,000 troops in Afghanistan serving under the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) with a peacekeeping
mandate. Its contingent is split between the capital Kabul, which
is in the east, and Herat in the west.
Italy is currently responsible for ISAF's Regional Command
West.
Italian Premier Romano Prodi and Foreign Minister Massimo
D'Alema monitored the events in Afghanistan from New York, where
they are attending the opening of the United Nations General
Assembly.
Both Prodi and D'Alema said that the kidnapping would in no way
affect Italy's role in the NATO mission.
(Xinhua News Agency September 25, 2007)
