KABUL, Sept 24: Italian special forces rescued two captive military personnel from their country in Afghanistan on Monday, ambushing a two-vehicle convoy and killing at least eight kidnappers. Both the kidnapped Italians were wounded in the raid.

Elsewhere, two Spanish soldiers died in an explosion.

The two Italians, their Afghan driver and translator had been missing since Saturday when they were last seen at a police checkpoint in the Shindand district of Herat province, police said.

The Italians were “wounded in the gunbattle that took place when the kidnappers’ convoy was intercepted,” said Maj Charles Anthony, a spokesman for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation force here. He said it wasn’t clear if they were hit by bullets from their rescuers or the militants.

The Italians’ Afghan translator was also wounded. Maj Anthony hinted that their driver might have been complicit in the kidnappings and might have been killed in the rescue. “It’s unclear what his status was or is,” he said.

Eight or nine hostage-takers were killed, he said. Earlier, Italy’s defence ministry said five had been killed.

The Italian-led operation took place in a remote area of Farah province.

Afghan Army Gen Jalandar Shah said Italian special forces rescued the two, who had been beaten by their captors. Provincial police spokesman Baryalai Khan said Italian officials told him that nine people were captured in the raid, though Maj Anthony said he did not think that was correct.

Defence Ministry Undersecretary Giovanni Lorenzo Forcieri said a ‘criminal band’ had taken the Italians.

A Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press that their militants were not behind the kidnapping.

Italy’s defence ministry called the two Italians ‘military personnel’ and the country’s foreign minister called them ‘Italian functionaries,’ raising the possibility the two worked as intelligence agents or special forces.

The kidnapping immediately prompted calls by a few Communist lawmakers for Italy to withdraw its 2,160-strong force in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, two Spanish soldiers died and two others were seriously wounded in western Afghanistan in a targeted explosion against the vehicle they were riding in, Spain’s defence ministry said. An Iranian interpreter travelling with the Spaniards also died.

A Nato service member was shot on Sunday in eastern Afghanistan, the alliance said in a statement.—AP