BADGHIS: Kidnappers released three kidnapped engineers with the statistics department in northwestern Badghis province, 10 days after they were abducted from the Maqur district, an official said on Saturday.
The engineers and their driver went missing in the Babi area 10 days ago and were finally rescued with the help of tribal elders, crime branch officer at the police headquarters, Col. Abdul Qadir, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
He ruled out any deal with the kidnappers.
–Abdul Latif Ayubi
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FARYAB: The US Special Forces killed two Taliban insurgents and wounded three others during an operation in Pashtonkot district of northern Faryab province, officials said on Saturday, but locals claim a wedding party was attacked.
The district chief Abdul Qadir told Pajhwok Afghan News that the anti-Taliban operation was conducted in Zulmabad village last night.
A 20-year-old woman was injured and insurgent leader, identified as Mullah Yaqub, was arrested in the operation, he said.
Qadir said they are investigating if any civilians were killed in the operation but was unaware if US troops suffered any causality.
Six Kalashnikovs and one rocket launcher were recovered.
But, without giving her name, a woman villager said, the foreign soldiers opened fire at guests attending a wedding party — killing her young son and injuring her 20-year-old daughter.
The villager further added that troops claimed they had information that some Taliban fighters were attending the wedding ceremony.
“The fighters were not invited to the wedding, but they hid among guests,” she said.
The woman who lost her son urged the government to take action against the troops. When contacted, local security officials said they had no report about the incident.
Police spokesman Sergeant Syed Masood Yaqobi confirmed the operation but refused to divulge more details.
In a statement, ISAF said three insurgents were killed in Shirin Tagab district during an operation and a wounded woman was hospitalised for treatment.
The Taliban are yet to comment on the incident.
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HELMAND: Seized in various operations, police in southern Helmand province on Saturday handed over 64 weapons to the Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups (DIAG) programme officials.
Dozens of weapons were received from a private security company after its dissolution and the others seized during a string of operations by police, deputy police chief, Col. Mohammadzi Khan told Pajhwok Afghan News.
The cache included 37 Kalashnikovs, 2 machineguns, 7 rocket launchers, 2 pocket propelled Grenades (RPG), 3 pistols, an artillery shell and a gun.
A total of 1,096 weapons had so far been surrendered under the DIAG programme, said the police officer.
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KHOST: Gunmen shot dead a tribal elder in the southeastern province of Khost on Saturday, officials said.
Mohammad Ghani Sangin was killed by unknown attackers around 8:00am in the Mashkoon area of Manduzai district, the town’s administrative head, Mohammad Younus Zadran, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Sangin, who has also served as principal of the Mohammad Siddique Roohi High School, had previously survived severally attacks. He was also member of the education department’s monitoring board, the district chief said.
The education department spokesman Syed Musa Majrooh said an investigation had been launched into the murder. He condemned the assassination.
No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing.
–Hidayatullah Khosti
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LOGAR: Foreign troops arrested seven suspected insurgents during an operation in the Baraki Barak district of central Logar province, police said on Saturday.
The operation was carried out in Babari and Sajwand areas on Friday night, said Col. Ghulam Sakhi Rogh Lewani, the provincial police chief.
The troops also seized two Kalashnikovs, as many machineguns and one rocked launcher from the detainees, he said.
The district chief, Syed Wakil, said the NATO-led troops raided two houses in the district.
Sabor, a resident, said the helicopter-borne troops entered a house and took away four people. He had no information if the detainees had any links with the insurgents.
ISAF leader had been arrested in the district.
–Maqsood Azizi
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