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Gunmen Abduct 30 Shi'ites in Southern Afghanistan

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Map showing Zabul province, Afghanistan
Map showing Zabul province, Afghanistan

Officials in southern Afghanistan say gunmen have abducted 30 men who are members of the country's Hazara Shiite Muslim minority group.

No one has claimed responsibility for the late Monday abduction, which officials say began when the gunmen stopped two buses on a major road in Zabul province.

An official with the bus company said the driver stopped for the gunmen because he believed they were soldiers. He said the kidnappers took the men, but left behind the women and children.

Afghan police said an investigation is under way to find out who is responsible for the abduction.

Hazaras have been the targets of bombings, kidnappings and other attacks in recent years by Taliban extremists and other Sunni extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

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