Two Italian soldiers went missing along with their Afghan driver and translator earlier today while on patrol in western Herat province. The Afghans returned to Herat City late Sunday without the soldiers, and Italian officials now believe the men to have been kidnapped. Via AFP:

The two Italians had been travelling in a volatile part of western Herat province with an Afghan interpreter and an Afghan driver when they went missing on Saturday, police said.

But the Afghans returned to Herat city late Sunday and were to be questioned Monday, said the police chief in charge of criminal investigations for the region, Ali Khan Husseinzada.

"We have not questioned them yet but we will summon them tomorrow to question them about the Italians," he said, adding it was still unclear what had happened to the foreigners.

Husseinzada said earlier that the group had been out of contact since Saturday when they visited Shindand district, a volatile area that has seen some activity by the hardline Taliban militia, known for kidnapping foreigners.

A Taliban spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, said he did not know anything about the missing Italians.

Italians have been frequent targets of the Taliban in recent years. Aid worker Clementina Cantoni was abducted in 2005 in Kabul; photojournalist Gabriele Torsello was kidnapped in Helmand province in October 2006; and journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo and his driver and translator were kidnapped this past March. Mastrogiacomo was released in exchange for 5 imprisoned Taliban terrorists, however driver Sayad Agha was beheaded during the 3-week-long abduction, and translator Adjmal Nakshbandi was beheaded on Easter Day.

Prayers for the safety of the missing soldiers and all Coalition troops in Afghanistan.

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