The editor of The New York Times hit back at "simplistic" criticism that a reckless pursuit of news had caused the capture of one of its journalists in Afghanistan.

Times executive editor Bill Keller said on Thursday he had seen "no evidence" that reporter Stephen Farrell's visit to the site of a NATO air strike in northern Kunduz province was "reckless or irresponsible."

Farrell and his Afghan colleague Sultan Munadi were snatched by Taliban rebels on Saturday as they were interviewing locals about the strike, which Afghan officials say killed dozens of civilians.

Farrell, who has dual British-Irish nationality, was freed Wednesday in a dramatic raid by British special forces. But four others - Munadi, a British soldier and two Afghan civilians - were killed.

"That Sultan and the soldier lost their lives in this episode is heartbreaking, and it's human nature to look for someone to blame, but to blame the journalist is simplistic at best," Keller said in an email to AFP .

"Steve consulted with American and Afghan colleagues and, like other journalists who made the same trip, concluded that it could be done safely," he said.

"It was an important story - a report of scores of dead innocents at a very sensitive period in the politics of Afghanistan - that could not be verified by phone calls or the Afghan rumor mill.

"It called out for on-the-scene reporting if possible."

Growing insecurity

Farrell and Munadi were the second team from The New York Times to be kidnapped in Afghanistan in less than a year. Their abduction highlighted growing insecurity in the once relatively peaceful north of the country.

The Times editor said the paper had begun a review of its security policies.

"We have, of course, begun a new round of internal discussion about whether our security protocols need improvement, given the increasing danger in Afghanistan in particular," Keller said.

Farrell, writing about his captivity and the rescue operation in The New York Times blog, said he was "comfortable" with his decision to go to the riverbank where the NATO air strike hit two Taliban-hijacked fuel trucks.

But he said the team may have lingered at the site for too long.

Criticism has been mounting both of Farrell's conduct and of the British government's decision to launch the commando raid, with sources saying that negotiators were deep in talks with the Taliban to free the captives.

- AFP