US reporter kidnapped by Taliban escapes

A US journalist kidnapped by the Afghan Taliban last year has managed to escape from the compound where he was being held. The journalist escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, a newspaper said on Sunday.

David S Rohde was abducted November 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.

Reporting the incident, The Times said that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Saturday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.

The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. Today, the two were flown to the US military base in Bagram, the Times reported.

A US military spokeswoman Lt Cmdr Chrstine Sidenstricker said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.

Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.