10 Taliban suspects held in Afghanistan
Afghan troops arrested 10 Taliban suspects during recent raids in the southern Zabul province, the region's governor said on Saturday. The arrests were made four days earlier in raids in several villages of Chapan district in Zabul province, said Governor Hamidullah Khan Tokhi. Among those arrested are two brothers of two commanders in the ousted Taliban militia, said Tokhi speaking from Zabul's capital of Qalat. It wasn't clear why the brothers were arrested, except for their family connections to the commanders. The official would not name the Taliban commanders. The suspects were being held in a jail in Qalat. Reinforcements have been sent to the area, and Afghan troops are looking for other Taliban hide-outs, according to the official. The region's rugged mountains are considered a natural haven for Taliban fighters, and Tokhi said the renegades have been able to get support from some local residents.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-05-04 |