Gunmen free 10 kidnapped Afghans

Gunmen have freed 10 of 13 Afghan workers who were abducted last week while on a mine-clearing project.

Gunmen have freed 10 of 13 Afghan workers who were abducted last week while on a mine-clearing project.

The remaining three will be released soon, officials said, adding that no ransom was paid.

The de-miners belonging to Afghan Technical Consultants were abducted while travelling in a convoy in the southeastern province of Paktia.

A spokesman for Paktia's governor had said the abductors were the "enemies of Afghanistan", a term often used by Afghan officials to describe Taliban insurgents.

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The Taliban, who have been behind a series of abductions of foreign nationals and Afghans in recent months, have denied any involvement.

The Taliban recently vowed to abduct and kill foreign nationals from countries that have troops in Afghanistan and kidnapped 23 South Korean missionaries.