Afghan intelligence agents have spoken with fugitive Taleban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar after commandeering a satellite phone being used by his top aide, an Afghan official claimed yesterday.
| "Hullo? Hullo? Is this the amir al-moumeen?" |
A man believed to be Omarâs aide, Mullah Sakhi Dad Mujahid, was captured on Tuesday while carrying a satellite telephone containing the phone numbers of top members of the ousted regime, Kandahar intelligence chief Abdullah Laghmanai said. âWe contacted Mullah Omar by Mullah Mujahidâs phone,â he said, adding that at first Mujahid was forced to talk to his boss on the phone. âBut when he (Omar) realised the situation ... he cut off the phone.â âAssalamu alaikum (Peace on you), where are you?â Mullah Omar asked Mujahid, according to Laghmanai who did not say when the call was made.
"I'm right here, boss! Where're you?"
"Why, I'm at... Saaaaaay! Your voice sounds different!"
"I... ummm... caught a cold. Brutal Afghan winter, y'know."
"It's July." |
Mullah Mujahid, as he is known locally, was arrested on Tuesday during a raid in Dara-i-Noor, some 43 miles north of southern Kandahar city. The area is in the rugged border area between south-central Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces and known to US military officials as the âTaleban heartlandâ. Mujahid served as Mullah Omarâs secretary under the Talebanâs 1996-2001 rule, according to Laghmanai.
| "Mullah Mujahid, take a letter!" |
âCurrently, he was serving as Mullah Omarâs military assistant,â he said.
| "Mullah Mujahid, hand me my gun!" |
Kandahar military spokesman General Abdul Wasay confirmed the arrest of the senior Taleban official.
| "Yup. That's what happened." |
âThe arrest of Mullah Mujahid will pacify Talebanâs activities in the area,â where he was captured, he said, without elaborating on further details.
|