Taliban release 160 civilians but keep at least 20 others captive, official says

The Taliban released more than 160 civilian passengers a day after they were kidnapped from three buses in northern Afghanistan but kept at least 20 soldiers and policemen as captives, an official said on Tuesday.

Nearly 200 passengers were taken as hostages by Taliban insurgents near the northern province of Kunduz on Monday as they traveled to the capital, Kabul.

"More than 160 civilians have reached home safely but at least 20 soldiers and policemen have been taken to an undisclosed location by the Taliban," said Ghulam Rabani Rabani, a provincial council member in Kunduz.

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