Seven al-Qaeda suspects arrested in eastern Afghanistan
Deutsche Presse-Agentur ^ | Sep 11 2006
news.monstersandcritics.com
In an operation launched by Afghan coalition forces in eastern Afghanistan, a known al-Qaeda facilitator and six other suspected al-Qaeda associates were detained, coalition forces said.
The commander of the Hizb-i-Islami militia in Hafezan in the eastern province of Nangarhar, Gulbuddin Hikmatyar, was arrested after credible intelligence led Afghan and coalition forces to his compound, the statement said.
No shots were fired and there were no injuries reported.
Hikmatyar, the former prime minister of Afghanistan, announced jihad or holy war against what he called the US invasion of Afghanistan four and half years ago and the joint opposition of the Afghan government by Taliban and al-Qaeda in the fight against coalition forces.
Two other al-Qaeda suspects were arrested last week in the south- eastern province of Khost.
Meanwhile, International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) and Afghan Army forces killed 92 Taliban fighters in the past 24 hours, in the southern province of Kandahar, NATO said in statement.
The statement said the figure was separate from the 94 insurgents reported as killed in other incidents early Sunday, but it left room for doubt about the accuracy of battlefield casualties.
'Estimating enemy casualties is not a precise science,' Col Chris Vernon, chief of staff for ISAF's Regional Command South, said.
'With our considerable technical intelligence, human intelligence and surveillance onto the battle area, we are able to establish figures to a reasonable level of accuracy,' Vernon said. 'The Taliban in the Panjwayi-Zhari area have suffered significant attrition.'
Late Sunday, Kandahar Governor Assadulah Khalid announced to residents of Panjwayi and Zhari districts through local reporters that they should return to their homes.
But ISAF said in its statement Monday, 'ISAF shares Governor Khalid's assessment but strongly recommends that residents do not return until Afghan and ISAF authorities formally announce that it is safe to do so'.
Operation Medusa was launched 10 days before to flush out Taliban fighters from their stronghold Panjwayi and Zhari districts in the southern province of Kandahar.
At least 21 NATO troops have been reported killed on the operation.
The military's statements during the operation have put the number of Taliban casualties at over 510.
Meanwhile, a suicide bomber killed as many as seven and injured 29 at the funeral of an Afghan governor in the south-eastern province of Khost, officials said.
A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said a young man entered the crowd of people taking part in the burial ceremony for Hakim Taniwal, the former governor of Paktia province, and detonated explosives he was wearing.
Most of those who lost their lives were policemen. The speaker of Khost provincial council, a member of the council, four journalists, and Khost's deputy police chief were among those who were injured in the blast.
Two ministers in the Afghan cabinet were also taking part in the ceremony, which they escaped unharmed.
Paktia's governor was killed with his assistant and a bodyguard in a suicide attack Sunday at the gate to his office, while 4 others were injured.
In a separate incident between Sunday night and Monday morning, 20 Taliban fighters were killed when Afghan Army forces launched an operation to recapture Garmsir district in Helmand province that the Afghan Government lost control of four days ago.
Helmand is one of the most volatile provinces in Afghanistan's south. It saw an increase of 162 per cent in poppy cultivation in comparison to last year, and over 4,500 British troops are stationed in the province to establish peace and security. |
