60 people kidnapped in buses by Taliban in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: 60 people have been abducted in several cars and buses by the Taliban after they were ambushed and forced out of the vehicles in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province on Tuesday, confirmed an Afghan official. But the militants later claimed they had released 33 of those abducted.

According to a district police chief in Helmand, Mohammad Ismail, he said the Taliban forced the buses and cars to stop at gunpoint, adding that it's unknown where the Taliban took the abducted passengers.
Before the abduction, the Taliban militants has stepped up its attacks in an offensive on Afghan officials.

Helmand transportation director, Abdull Ghafoor Tokhi said;

 the Taliban "stopped couple of buses and around 15 other vehicles on the main highway and searched them all"

Helmand police chief General Aqa Noor Kentoz said Afghan security forces had launched an operation to locate the abducted passengers.
Spokesman for Taliban, Qari Yusouf Ahmadi confirmed on social media  the group was responsible for the abduction and said the militants still have 27 of the abducted people after 33 were released.

"We freed all but 27 ... there will be an investigation and we will find out if they are government employees and if so, they will be hand over to the Taliban judicial officials to decide on their fate," said Ahmadi.