At least eight militants were killed in a clash when Italian Special Forces soldiers ambushed a two-vehicle convoy of militants and rescued two captive Italian military personnel in western Afghanistan early Monday.
Elsewhere, ambushes and gunbattles killed at least 28 other people, including 12 government employees and police, even as President Hamid Karzai said his government was working hard for peace talks with Taliban supporters amid the worst violence in six years. Two Spanish soldiers died in an explosion.
The two Italians, their Afghan driver and translator had been missing since Saturday when they were last seen at a police checkpoint in the Shindand district of Herat province, police said.
The Italians were "wounded in the gunbattle that took place when the kidnappers' convoy was intercepted," said Maj. Charles Anthony, a spokesman for the NATO force here. He said it wasn't clear if they were hit by bullets from their rescuers or the militants.
The Italians' Afghan translator was also wounded. Anthony hinted that their driver might have been complicit in the kidnappings and might have been killed in the rescue. "It's unclear what his status was or is," Anthony said.
Eight or nine hostage-takers were killed, he said; Earlier, Italy's Defense Ministry said five had been killed.
The Italian-led operation took place in a remote area of Farah province.
Afghan Army Gen. Jalandar Shah said Italian special forces rescued the two, whom he said had been beaten by their captors. Provincial police spokesman Baryalai Khan said Italian officials told him that nine people were captured in the raid, though Anthony said he did not think that was correct.
Defense Ministry undersecretary Giovanni Lorenzo Forcieri said a "criminal band" had taken the Italians. A Taliban spokesman told The Associated Press that its militants were not behind the kidnappings.
Italy's Defense Ministry called the two Italians "military personnel" and the country's foreign minister called them "Italian functionaries," raising the possibility the two work as intelligence agents or special forces.
The kidnappings of the Italians immediately prompted calls by a few Communist lawmakers for Italy to withdraw its 2,160-strong force in Afghanistan - calls rejected by other lawmakers.
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