KABUL: Two international journalists who were on an assignment for the UN refugee agency have been detained in the Afghan capital, the UNHCR said on Friday.

The detentions come months after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan following a lightning offensive that ousted the former Western-backed government.

“Two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others,” the UNHCR tweeted.

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One of the journalists is Andrew North, a British former BBC correspondent who has covered Afghanistan for about two decade who has regularly travelled to the war-ravaged country to report on its deteriorating humanitarian crisis.

“Andrew was in Kabul working for the UNHCR, trying to help the people of Afghanistan,” his wife Natalia Antelava tweeted.

“We are extremely concerned for his safety & call on anyone with influence to help secure his release.”