Unknown armed men in military uniform kidnapped three staff of the United Nations in the Afghan capital city at broad daylight Thursday, Afghan officials confirmed.

"Three armed men in military uniform intercepted a UN car in Baraki area of Kabul city early afternoon and took away three persons including two women with them," Rohullah, a witness at the site told Xinhua.

The kidnappers also badly beat up the Afghan driver of the UN car, added Rohullah who is a lorry driver in the city. The area has been cordoned off by UN guards.

UN officials as well as Afghan police confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details.

The three abducted, according to some officials, are from Britain, Ireland and Kosovo, were working for the UN-sponsored Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) overseeing the first presidential elections held on Oct. 9 across Afghanistan and in Iran and Pakistan.

This is the first time that such an incident has taken place in the war-weary Afghan capital over the last three years.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. However, remnants of the former Taliban regime who failed to derail the landmark presidential elections have vowed to continue Jihad or holy war until the US-led troops leave Afghanistan.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2004)