Daily security Brief: December 17, 2011

BAGHLAN: Three people were released from the captivity of a female former jihadi commander in Nahrin district of northern Baghlan province, officials said on Saturday.

The rescued included a child. They were held captives by Kaftar, a female former jihadi commander, in Barka village, the town’s administrative head, Maulana Fazal Rahman, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The release was secured in cooperation with tribal elders, the official said, adding the motive behind the captivity was unknown.

Having 30 armed supporters, Kaftar has been active in Barka district since the Jihad era.

Hussaini said the government tried convincing her into joining the peace process.

–Habibur Rahman Shirzay

mm/ma

GHOR: A road construction company official has been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in western Ghor province, an official said on Saturday.

Mirwais Salehi, the provincial in-charge of Logan Road Construction Company, was kidnapped from the Ghalmin village five days ago, deputy police chief, Col. Abdur Rashid Basher, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

A search operation involving police and area residents was underway, but no clue to Salehi’s whereabouts has been found so far, he said. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the adduction.

Resident Mohammad Arif said Salehi went missing in Ghalmin village while monitoring newly-built bridges.

Acting Rural Rehabilitation Director Khair Mohammad said locals informed him about the incident, adding his department had received no information from the company’s head office in Kabul.

He said the Logan Company had been unable to complete a 16-kilometer road connecting Charsada district with Chaghcharan, the provincial capital, over the past two years.

The $450,000 (21,856,500afghanis) road agreement had been signed between the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and the Logan Company, he said.

Mohammad said they had several times informed the ministry about the slow pace of work on the road project.

—Hakimi

mm/ma

KANDAHAR: Two mine planters were killed and a third injured during an airstrike by NATO-led troops in southern Kandahar province, an official said on Saturday.

The insurgents were planting mines in the Mazrai area of Maiwand district when they targeted by an ISAF spy aircraft, Zalmay Ayyubi, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Two of the militants were killed instantly, while the third was taken to the district headquarters in injured condition by security personnel, he said.

One AK-47 assault rifle and one pistol were seized from the dead, he added.

Elsewhere, some weapons and 360 kilograms of hashish were seized by Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers in Arghandab district, the governor’s spokesman said.

The seizure came when the 205th Military Corps personnel raided a house following intelligence reports, he said.

Five rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), as many hand grenades, 400 different kinds of shells, and 360 kg of drugs were seized, he said. 

No arrest could be made in connection with the arms and drugs.

—Bashir Ahmad Nadem

mrh/ma

NANGARHAR: A thousand kilograms of raw hashish were seized by counternarcotics police during an operation in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Saturday.

The operation was conducted in Achin district, where 26 sacks of hashish were seized from a house, police chief, Brig. Gen. Sardar Mohammad Sultani, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

No arrest could be made in connection with the seizure.

Separately, two anti-vehicle mines were found and defused in the Ghani Khil district, Sultani said.

–Abdul Mueed Hashimi

mm/ma

Visits: 1