Kabul, April 1 (IANS): Armed men intercepted several passenger vehicles in Afghanistan's Saripul province and abducted 13 travellers on Wednesday, an official said.

"The ill-fated passengers were going from provincial capital Saripul city to Balkhab district on Wednesday morning when a group of armed people, presumably Taliban militants, intercepted their vehicles in Damarda area and took 13 passengers to unknown locations," Hayatullah Alamai, a member of Saripul provincial council, told Xinhua news agency.

He did not provide more details. Saripul city is 350 km north of Afghanistan's capital Kabul.

Another provincial council member in Saripul province, Ghulam Nabi Khuram, also confirmed the incident and told Xinhua that the Taliban might be involved.

In a similar incident a couple of days ago, armed men kidnapped four people in the neighbouring Balkh province and their fate is still unknown.

In late February, unidentified armed men abducted 31 passengers in the southern Zabul province and the government is yet to secure their release.