Kidnapped German-Afghan freed in Kabul

Afghan security forces freed a German-Afghan businessman in a raid nearly two weeks after he was kidnapped from the capital, the country's intelligence agancy said.

Afghan security forces freed a German-Afghan businessman in a raid on Thursday, nearly two weeks after he was kidnapped from the capital, the country's intelligence agancy said.

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Azizullah was seized by a group of armed men as he walked home from a hotel he owns in Kabul, the deputy head of the Directorate for National Security, Abdullah told reporters.

Three armed men were arrested during the pre-dawn raid on a house where Azizullah was kept, Abdullah said, adding the abductors had demanded $3 million for his release.

The kidnapping of foreigners and Afghans has become a lucrative business for criminal gangs and Taliban insurgents amid rising violence in Afghanistan.