U.S. official: American held in Afghanistan-Pakistan region

WASHINGTON – An American civilian is being held by a Taliban-linked militant group in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, according to a United States official familiar with the matter.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the man is being held by the Haqqani network, a family-run militant group that operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

The official would not discuss the man’s identity or the circumstances of his capture.

The FBI, the White House and the man’s wife have urged public officials and media organizations not to discuss the matter publicly, the official said.

The White House declined to comment, and the State Department declined to confirm the man’s capture.

The department is “aware of reports that an American is being held,” spokesman Mark Toner said, and “we reiterate our calls for U.S. citizens being held hostage around the world to be released.”

On Monday, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., who has been critical of U.S. hostage recovery efforts, wrote a letter to President Barack Obama urging that he appoint a federal hostage coordinator. In the letter, he noted that “there are still Americans in captivity in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.”