Afghan government Sunday termed the reported death of the Italian aid worker as merely baseless and rejected it.

"I clearly want to assure you that Ms. Clementina Cantoni is alive and the government of Afghanistan is trying its best to ensure her safe release as soon as possible and pave the way for her earliest joining to her family and friends," Interior Ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal told journalists here at a press conference.

Four armed men abducted Cantoni, 32, working for the relief agency CARE International, Monday at 9 pm in Kabul.

Since then Afghan government in coordination with Italian embassy and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has been endeavoring to secure the unharmed release of the Italian lady.

One of her alleged kidnapper Timur Shah in talks with certain media circles claimed that she was strangled after the government rejected their demands.

The abductors' demands, according to Timur Shah include banning liquor, improving religious school conditions and outlawing vulgar programs on televisions and radios.

"We are in constant contact with the abductors. We have the records of all contacts and we are sure that she is unharmed and alive," noted the officials.

However, he rejected to provide more details by saying, "Due to security reasons, we cannot give detailed information."

In the meantime, the Afghan official through giving hotline number urged his compatriots to help government in securing safe release of Ms. Cantoni by providing helpful information.

In a similar incident, three UN workers were kidnapped ahead of the Afghan presidential polls last year but were set free unharmed after month.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23,2005)