Abducted Italian troops freed in Afghan raid-ministry

ROME, Sep 24 (Reuters) Two Italian soldiers who had been kidnapped in Afghanistan have been freed in a raid, Italy's Defence Ministry said today.

''In a raid by ISAF forces in the early hours of the morning the two soldiers who had been kidnapped last Saturday have been freed,'' a spokesman for the ministry said, referring to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

The soldiers were injured and had been brought to a hospital, the spokesman said.

Italy has some 2,200 troops in Afghanistan. More than 600 are in western Afghanistan running the regional ISAF command.

REUTERS SZ AS1219