The body of a boy has been recovered in Afghanistan after he fell into a well shaft earlier this week.

Anas Haqqani, a senior member of the ruling militant Islamist Taliban, made the announcement on Twitter on Friday, offering his condolences to the family.

Mr Haqqani had travelled to the site of the accident in Zabul province in the south of the country and witnessed the rescue operation.

The boy’s body, who was about six years old, was recovered on Friday morning after a rescue operation that lasted several days.

The child had fallen into a well either on Tuesday or Wednesday in the province of Jaldak.

Rescue efforts were complicated by the fact that the well was very narrow. Rescue workers tried for several days to dig their way to the boy and brought equipment from a neighbouring province to the accident site.

Initially, several rescue attempts, such as pulling the child up in a sack, failed. The last signs of life were heard from the boy on Thursday.

The Taliban defence minister, Mullah Yaqoob, also travelled to the rescue operation. Pictures on social media showed hundreds of civilians looking on.

According to local media, people had also travelled there from neighbouring provinces. 

(dpa/NAN)