SPIN BOLDAK: Afghan forces captured 20 Taliban suspects, several of them local commanders, in operations in the south in the past week that killed five guerrillas and two government troops. Khalid Pashtun, spokesman for Kandahar province, told reporters on Sunday at least 19 Taliban suspects had been detained there. Authorities in neighbouring Uruzgan said they had captured a guerrilla chief trying to plant a bomb near the governorâs house. State media have reported other arrests of Taliban suspects in Helmand province, without giving figures. Pashtun said the arrests in Kandahar province took place in operations to the north and south of Kandahar city involving 500 pro-government troops backed by U.S.-led coalition forces. He said one Taliban fighter was killed trying to attack a government post on Friday, while the US military has reported that its helicopter gunships killed another four on Thursday. Kandahar corps commander General Khan Mohammad said two Afghan soldiers were killed during the operations. Pashtun said that Taliban prisoners included three important local commanders, Mullah Abdul Hameed, Mullah Abdul Hakim and Mullah Zahir. The governor of Uruzgan province, Jan Mohammad Khan, told reporters that another commander, Mullah Noman, had been arrested early on Sunday trying to place a remote-controlled bomb on a road leading to his residence. He said Noman had admitted receiving training in Quetta, and had given details of Taliban activities in Pakistan.
In Kandahar city, journalists saw police escorting several Taliban prisoners with their feet in chains. One, who gave his name as Mullah Rahmatullah, said he had been paid to fight. âWe have been told to fight against the government,â he said. âThey were giving us money to fight and were saying that the Americans are here now so you have to go for holy war. That is why we joined them.â
| Golly. I wonder who might be paying them? |
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