US citizen from Illinois kidnapped by Taliban group in Afghanistan

A US government contractor from Illinois was kidnapped last 🎃Friday in Afghanistan by Taliban-affiliated militants, a report said.

Mark Frerichs, a civil engineer who routinely travels to conflict zones to consult on logistical contracts,𝐆 was abducted in Khost, a province near th𒉰e Pakistan border, , citing US officials who spoke anonymously.

It’s unclear how Frerichs was captured, but US offici🙈als believe the Haqqani network, a group aligned with the Taliban, is responsib🥀le for the kidnapping, the report said.

No group ha🍬s officially claimed responsibility for taking Frerichs.

The FBI, Department of Defen♏se, and the State Department are actively trying to locate him, the report said.

Efforts to find꧋ the American 🐟include ground and intelligence-gathering operations.

A spokeswoman for the FBI’s Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, which helps coordinate the recoveries of missing Americans abroad, said in a statement to Newsweek, “The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State.”