TAKEN

American, Australian Kidnapped in Afghanistan

By gunmen in Kabul.

An American and an Australian have been kidnapped by gunmen in Kabul, officials said Monday. Authorities are searching for the two, who are affiliated with a university, after four or five men allegedly captured them from a road on Sunday. An interior ministry official provided the details of the kidnapping to Reuters on the condition of anonymity; it was not yet clear who was responsible or their identifying details. The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the situation. The Australian embassy confirmed that one of its citizens had been taken but would not comment, citing safety concerns. “We continue to advise Australians not to travel to Afghanistan because of the extremely dangerous security situation, including the serious threat of kidnapping,” Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.