KABUL, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces rescued a child from kidnappers in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province and arrested two suspects, the provincial police office announced Sunday.
The child was freed during a special operation on the outskirts of Police District 3 in Kandahar city, the provincial capital. The kidnappers had demanded 10 million afghani (approximately 150,000 U.S. dollars) in ransom for the child's release, according to a police statement.
After pinpointing the kidnappers' location through intelligence, security forces launched a targeted raid, successfully liberating the child without further incident, the statement detailed.
The rescued minor has been safely reunited with his family, the statement added.
In war-torn and economically impoverished Afghanistan, criminal gangs frequently resort to kidnappings, targeting members of wealthy families to extort large ransoms. ■
