Unidentified gunmen in the Afghan capital, Kabul, have kidnapped three foreign election workers as they drove in a clearly marked United Nations vehicle.
Afghan authorities say two of the poll workers taken Thursday at gunpoint by men wearing military uniforms are women -- one a British-Irish national and one from Serbia's Kosovo province. The third victim is a diplomat from the Philippines.
A group calling itself "Army of Muslims" claimed responsibility for the abductions. The group did not specify any demands for the hostages' release.
International peacekeepers and police have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.
The victims are part of a joint UN-Afghan team that organized Afghanistan's presidential election. They were kidnapped as officials prepared for the final results of the vote.