Taliban militants have abducted 27 members of the People's Peace Movement from Afghanistan's western province of Farah, a leader of the group said on Wednesday.
The militants took the activists from Bala Buluk district while they were travelling in a peace march from the neighbouring western Herat, the group's leader Iqbal Khaibar told dpa.
The activist group has not been given any update on the marchers' whereabouts, as the Taliban have been denying to respond to their queries, Khaibar said.
The abducted activists were in the middle of a new round of protests, travelling around the country to spread a message of peace. They have been calling for all sides of the conflict in Afghanistan to agree upon a ceasefire, a statement from the movement reads.
The Taliban has been suspicious about the movement, with some of the militants taking to social media to criticise the activists for being silent against US airstrikes, which they say have at times led to civilian casualties.
However, the People's Peace Movement has always claimed to be an impartial group, only advocating for peace in the embattled country.
