Report: Contractor from Lombard kidnapped in Afghanistan

An American contractor from Lombard was captured by Taliban-aligned militants in Afghanistan last week, triggering a country-wide recovery effort, Newsweek reported.

According to the report posted Wednesday on the magazine's website, Mark R. Frerichs was kidnapped last Friday in Khost, a province in the southeastern part of the country.

Frerichs, 57, is a former Navy diver and the managing director for International Logistical Support, a U.S. government contractor, Newsweek reported. According to his LinkedIn account, he has worked as a civil engineer in several conflict zones from Iraq to Sudan during the past 10 years, Newsweek said.

Newsweek said that while no group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, U.S. officials believe the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network orchestrated the operation.