Three British men being held in custody by Taliban in Afghanistan

Three British men are being held in custody in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) says it is trying to secure consular contact with the British nationals, and is supporting their families.

Non-profit organisation the Presidium Network is assisting two of the men, said to be charity medic Kevin Cornwell and a second unnamed man who manages a hotel in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, according to Sky News.

Scott Richards, a spokesperson for non-profit the Presidium Network which is providing assistance to the pair, told Sky News he understands they are well and in good health.

But he said there “has been no meaningful contact” with the men, adding his organisation is “very hopeful that contact will be made”.

It is not clear how long the third man has been detained.

An FCDO spokesperson said: “We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.”

The department says it engages “pragmatically” with the Taliban on incidents including consular cases like these, as well as human rights, counter-terrorism and humanitarian issues.

The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Afghanistan based on the security risks, which it says include detention.