Tuesday, November 22 2005 15:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Indian Military attache in Afghanistan is closely monitoring the efforts being made by Kabul authorities to seek the release of abducted Border Roads Organisation employee M R Kutty in Afghanistan, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman said here today (Nov 22, 2005).

"We are monitoring the efforts and are hopeful that the abduction problem would be sorted out," Pattabhiraman told reporters on the sidelines of a function at the Defence Pavilion at the India International Trade Fair.

His remarks came even as Afghan Government constituted a special task force comprising military intelligence and police officials to ensure that all necessary steps were taken for safety of Indians working there and also to trace the BRO employee abducted by suspected Taliban.

In all, about 290 Indians are engaged in various projects in Afghanistan, with the bulk of them, Border Roads personnel, working on the Delaram-Herat-Kanadhar highway seeking to link Iran Makran coast with Afghan heartland.

Kutty, a driver with the Border Roads Organisation, was abducted by suspected Taliban in Nimroze province of Afghanistan on Saturday night along with three Afghan co-workers.

Asked about recent reports of intrusions of Indian air space in Kashmir valley by helicopters from Pakistan engaged in quake relief distribution, the Vice Chief said the helicopters had strayed across.

"Nothing sinister should be read in this. We have taken up the matter through the Director General of Military Operations hotline", he added.

On reports of an upward swing in infiltration across the Line of Control by militants taking advantage of troops being engaged in quake relief, Pattabhiraman said there was no unusual spurt in infiltration.

He said infiltration had its swings depending on weather conditions and assured there was no cause for alarm.

Earlier, the Vice Chief went round the Defence Pavilion whose main theme this year is efforts by Armed Forces to provide relief in times of natural disasters, particularly after last year's tsunami and recent earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir and across in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.