A suspected senior ally of renegade Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and five of his followers have been arrested in Kabul, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) announced Wednesday. The militants, described as a âthreatâ to Afghans and foreigners, were held in a joint raid by peacekeepers and local forces at a compound in the capitalâs Charasyab district on Tuesday, ISAF spokesman Commander Chris Henderson said. âThe principal subject of the raid is believed to be a senior commander of Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin,â he told a news conference, referring to Hekmatyarâs militant group. Henderson did not identify the man by name.
| They don't usually, which makes for pretty weak tea when trying to follow the events... |
The arrested militant was âan imminent threat to the people of Kabul, international aid workers, UN and ISAF troops,â he said. âThat threat has now been removed from the streets of Kabul. He is suspected to be a senior member of Hezb-i-Islami.â An Afghan security official said the arrests followed last monthâs detention of another Hekmatyar ally, identified only as Amanullah from neighbouring Wardak province. âThey were arrested over links with Amanullah,â the official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP. âHezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin is one of the three main organisations that are seeking to destabilise Afghanistan,â Henderson said, listing the two other groups as Al Qaeda and the remnants of the ousted hard-line Taliban militia.
| Of the three, the Hezb is the only one consisting of Afghans... |
He said he believed the latest arrests would help the Afghans in holding elections scheduled for September. The polls originally planned for June have been delayed due to security and logistical reasons. âRemoving senior commanders of these three organisations is a key element in broadening the security blanket so the elections can be held . . . well,â he said. |