Italian photographer kidnapped in Afghanistan

An Italian freelance photographer and his translator have been abducted in southern Afghanistan, officials said today.

Gabriele Torsello, who is based in London, and his Afghan translator were abducted by armed men yesterday as they were driving from Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern Helmand province, toward neighbouring Kandahar.

The pair were in a car when they were abducted.

Before Lashkar Gah, Torsello spent time in Musa Qala, another restive area of Helmand province.

Maso Notarianni, the director of the Italian online magazine Peace Reporter, told Italian state TV that Torsello had called the hospital in Lashkar Gah, apparently to let authorities know he was kidnapped.

Notarianni said Torsello took a bus to Kabul on Thursday but never arrived.

"Until Thursday, he was in the deep south of Afghanistan, in Taliban-controlled territory," Notarianni said.

Nato-led peacekeepers said they were checking the report, but had no confirmation.