KABUL: An official says gunmen have kidnapped 11 land mine clearers in western Afghanistan. Rauf Ahmadi, the spokesman for the police chief of the western Herat province, said on Saturday that a military operation has been launched in the area, with six suspects detained. He says tribal elders had earlier tried negotiating the de-miners’ release. He says all 11 were Afghans employed by the HALO Trust mine clearing organisation. They were abducted on Friday.