KABUL, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Unknown militants kidnapped two aid workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Wardak province of central Afghanistan while they were accompanying a German hostage back to Kabul, a local official Mohammad Sadiq told Xinhua Thursday.

    Sadiq, who is an aid to Wardak governor, said the three were captured in Sayed Abad district in Wardak on Wednesday afternoon.

    Media reports said the two ICRC aid workers were foreigners who had helped coordinate the release of 21 South Korean hostages, and two Afghan drivers were captured together with the three.

    Sadiq said before the incident the Taliban, who had kept the German hostage from July, had difference on ransom with German officials to free the hostage.

    He said the police wanted to escort the three back to Kabul, but were refused by the two ICRC staff, who said they were from the ICRC and would not have problems.

    Afghanistan has witnessed many kidnappings recently, some of which were carried out by Taliban militants, while others by criminal groups.