BBC: Italian 'released in Afghanistan'

[Eugene]

Last Updated: Friday, 3 November 2006, 11:38 GMT

Italian 'released in Afghanistan'

An Italian photographer kidnapped in Afghanistan last month has been freed,
the Italian defence ministry says.

Gabriele Torsello and his Afghan translator were seized three weeks ago
while travelling on a bus near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

His kidnappers at one point offered to hand him over in return for an Afghan
convert to Christianity, who had received asylum in Italy.

The circumstances of Mr Torsello's release are unclear.

Neither is it clear if the translator has been freed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6113378.stm