The incident occurred in the eastern province of Zabul on the border with Pakistan, where armed groups of the Taliban movement operate. The Taliban lost control over the country at the end of 2001 after the start of the international counter-terrorist operation in Afghanistan led by the US.
On Saturday, a source representing the Taliban announced in an interview with AP news agency, "our group kidnapped and killed two Russians." Two people were abducted on Wednesday and whisked away in a car along the road connecting Kandagar with Afghan capital, Kabul.
According to a provincial official, the kidnapped are Uzbek nationals. The official did not explain what they were doing in Afghanistan. He also said it was not known whether they had been killed.
Representative of the Uzbek Embassy in Afghanistan told the AP he did not have any information concerning the death of Uzbek citizens.
Russian Embassy officials also do not confirm the information about the death of two Russian citizens.
"The Russian Embassy in Kabul maintains close contacts with local authorities regarding the information on possible death of Russian citizens, although this information has not been confirmed yet," a Russian foreign ministry official told RIA Novosti.
He also said the rumors disseminated by various foreign media regarding the fact that the abducted Russian citizens allegedly accompanied a shipment of cars for Afghan government officials had not been confirmed, either.
Earlier, the Russian attache in Kabul told RIA Novosti on the phone, "all Russian citizens registered with the Russian consulate in Kabul are alive and in good health."
