At least eight observers disappeared after leaving a Shinwari district polling center, say IEC and Parwan governor’s office.

Provincial officials in Parwan claimed that the Taliban abducted at least eight election observers (and as many as nine more) on Saturday in the Dar-e-Ghorband area of Seyagerd district.

Abdul Qahar Wahab Safi, head of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) for Parwan, doesn’t know the exact number but said that seven IEC observers and one Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) observer are among the abductees.

Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for Parwan’s governor, said that eight election observers assigned to the Namak Aab polling center in Shinwari district were abducted by the Taliban when they were on their way home.

Shahkar said that tribal elders were negotiating with the Taliban to rescue the hostages, but the progress of those negotiations was not yet clear.

Police have not taken action yet, Shahkar said, because of the possibility that the hostages would be harmed.

The police in Parwan confirm that the election observers were abducted by the Taliban.

Officials from Abdullah Abdullah’s election team in Parwan say they have not had contact with their observers since yesterday.

The Taliban have not commented on this incident.