Pakistan security authorities have arrested 18 Taliban militants in a raid on their hideout in south-western Baluchistan province bordering Afghanistan. During the raid carried out overnight in the Chaman border district the security forces also seized a large number of weapons, ammunition and wireless sets. "It is believed those arrested belonged to a Taliban group involved in several attacks on the Pak-Afghan border recently and were planning some new attacks," it said.
| "No, no! We wuz just gonna do a little, ummm... elk huntin'. An' we needed the radios to, ummm... stay in touch with our wives. Yeah, that's it! They wuz afraid we wuz gonna get drunk instead o' huntin'..." |
Investigations were continuing and further disclosures were expected, the statement added. Paramilitary colonel Abdul Basit Rana said in Chaman that the suspects put up no resistance during the raid. The arrest of the group follows a surge in violence against aid workers, soldiers and government targets, blamed largely on resurgent Taliban fighters. |