Kabul-Kandahar highway
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The Kabul-Kandahar highway links two major Afghan cities, Kabul and Kandahar. Stretching 482 kilometers, the road remains in major disrepair due to over two decades of war and neglect.
The United States has funded the project for its reconstruction, which is being overseen by the Louis Berger Group, with assistance in planning and design by Turkish and Indian engineers.
As of early 2004, Taliban rebels bully the corridor. Afghan guards, soldiers and workers have been killed along the route. In October 2003, they kidnapped a Turkish contractor, and that December they kidnapped two Indian workers. In February 2004, Taliban rebels shot down a Louis Berger Group helicopter, killing three.
In March 2004, rebels murdered a Turkish engineer and an Afghan guard. Another Turkish engineer and a translator were kidnapped. This action prompted the United States to set up small civilian-military teams in three locations along the route.