Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan say they have seized two Pakistani journalists because the two men were not carrying proper travel documents.

A spokesman for the militant group Saturday said the journalists are safe and will be released soon, possibly on Sunday.

The two Pakistani reporters, Syed Saleem Shahzad and Qamar Yousafzai, were last heard from earlier this week in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province.

The Afghan provinces which border Pakistan have seen a sharp rise in violence in recent months. NATO-led military forces and Afghan troops are trying to crush insurgents fighting against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.