KABUL, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The Afghan government has secured the safe release of the driver and interpreter of an abducted Turkish engineer and efforts for his release are going on, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

    "With the efforts of law enforcing agencies and the cooperation of locals, the driver and interpreter of the Turkish engineer were released at 2:30 am this morning," Lutfullah Mashal told Xinhua.

    The Turkish engineer working on the Jalalabad-Kunar road project for a construction company in east Afghanistan was abducted Tuesday afternoon in Chawki district of Kunar province by unknown armed men.

    "We are hopeful to secure the safe release of the engineer very soon," Mashal added.

    He blamed no particular group or individual for the kidnapping but stressed that "enemies of peace and progress are behind the crime."

    Three UN employees were kidnapped in Kabul by a militant group in October and released over one month later. Enditem