Taliban insurgents kidnapped 100 passengers on three buses have been taken hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan’s embattled north, officials said, even as a ceasefire announced by the government was set to begin.

Esmatullah Muradi, a spokesman for the Kunduz governor, on Monday said the kidnapping happened on Monday morning when three passenger buses were coming from Takhar province to the capital, Kabul.

“The buses were stopped by the Taliban fighters, passengers were forced to step down and they have been taken to an undisclosed location,” he said. (Reuters/NAN)