ISTANBUL, Nov 1: Afghan insurgents have kidnapped a Turkish engineer working in Afghanistan and are demanding the release of six Taliban prisoners in exchange, Turkish officials said on Saturday.

Turkish officials blamed Thursday’s kidnapping on fugitive Taliban fighters.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkey was trying to secure engineer Onal’s release.

“We’re doing everything necessary to rescue our engineer without him suffering any harm,” Gul told reporters in Ankara.

Onal was kidnapped with his driver on the highway between the Kabul and Kandahar province, a Turkish official said on condition of anonymity. The driver was let go with a letter demanding the release of six Taliban prisoners in exchange for Onal.

Officials at the Turkish Embassy in Kabul declined to comment. Afghan officials said they had no information.

According to Turkish officials, Onal was working on the 500-kilometre highway from Kabul to Kandahar.—APP