Militants seized a bus with dozens of passengers in Herat province in western Afghanistan. According to local authorities, the militants are members of the Taliban movement (banned in Russia), writes Xinhua News Agency .
Armed people attacked the bus and hijacked it in an unknown direction at about 07:00 local time. According to preliminary information, there are 45 people on the bus. The police are conducting an operation to free the hostages; the militants have not yet put forward any demands.
In the fall of 2020, terrorist attacks and attacks have become more frequent in Afghanistan. In November there there was an explosion , which killed 21 people, another 17 received injured. The incident took place near the Afghan Armed Forces base – a car bomb exploded there.
In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by May 2021. He stated that the US military has cut its military presence in the country in half.