Ex- BBC journalist Andrew North ‘is among group of foreigners kidnapped by the Taliban’, sources say

Former BBC journalist Andrew North has been kidnapped by the Taliban in Kabul along with eight others, sources have said.

The war correspondent, who has reported from Baghdad and Beirut, has been working as an independent journalist and with the UN inside the terrorist-ruled country.

Afghanistan’s former vice president Amrullah Saleh said: ‘Due to no media, no reporting by citizens and a suffocating atmosphere corruption, crime and atrocities aren’t well exposed.

‘As an example nine citizens of western countries have been kidnapped amongst them Andrew North of BBC & Peter Juvenal owner of Gandomak Restaurant.

‘Talibans are liars.’  

The war correspondent, who has reported from Baghdad and Beirut , has been working as an independent journalist and with the UN inside the terrorist-ruled country

Sources from the BBC World Service confirmed to Afghanistan International that North had been abducted.

The Taliban has not yet commented on the alleged abduction.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees also confirmed an abduction of two journalists working for them in Afghanistan.

They said: ‘Two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others.

‘We will make no further comment given the nature of the situation.’

North recently said on his personal website he had been meeting with Taliban leaders (file image)

North recently said on his personal website he had been meeting with Taliban leaders.

He said: ‘The group once dubbed “Islamic Maoists” has not been quite as ruthless as many feared — so far.

‘That came through clearly during several weeks in the fall I spent travelling around Afghanistan, meeting various Taliban figures and seeing the results in daily life.

‘It all adds to a sense of malaise, with an ominous feeling of worse to come.’