Canadian traveller missing in Afghanistan

A Canadian citizen is missing in Afghanistan after travelling to the country as a tourist, the Foreign Affairs Department says.

The department made the statement Sunday aftera Taliban news release earlier in the day that claimed a Canadian "spy" had been captured in Ghazni city.

Canadian officials are working with Afghan authorities to assistthe family in securing the safe release ofColin Rutherford, a spokesman for thedepartment said in an email to CBC News on Sunday.

The spokesman's email also said Foreign Affairs isaware of the Taliban release.

Afghan media reportscited a purported Taliban spokesman saying the man was captured in the eastern Afghan citya week ago.

The Canadian military said no one is missing from its ranks in the eastern part of the country, the CBC's Peter Ackman reported from Kandahar.

"They have no one missing, be it civilian or military, that they know about," Ackman said. "But that doesn't mean there isn't a Canadian here."

The Canadian government says it strongly advises against all travel to Afghanistan.