MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Afghanistan's authorities will do everything they can to help free the Russian national held captive by the Taliban, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, national security adviser to the Afghan president, said Tuesday.
"We are in close contact on this matter with the Russian Embassy here in Kabul. Russia is our close friend and we will do everything possible to help. We have established contacts and hope that we will be able to achieve progress," Atmar told RIA Novosti.
A Pakistani Mi-17 reportedly flew from Peshawar to Uzbekistan’s city of Bukhara for scheduled repairs when it crash-landed in Afghanistan last Thursday. Six Pakistanis and a Russian national were taken hostage by Taliban militants.
Afghanistan is in a state of political and social turmoil, fighting the continuing Taliban insurgency, with other extremist groups such as Daesh (outlawed in Russia) expanding their activities in the country as well.
