Military

Suspected Afghan, Pakistani Suicide Plotters Arrested

30 January 2006 -- Security forces in southern Afghanistan have arrested seven Afghans and two Pakistanis who they believe were plotting suicide attacks.

Two vehicles laden with explosives were seized during the raids on 29 January in the southern city of Kandahar, which has suffered a spate of suicide attacks in recent months.

Governor Asadullah Khaled said the nine were suspected neo-Taliban members and allegedly planned to carry out suicide attacks against U.S.-led coalition forces and government targets.

The arrests came the same day that Afghan security forces set up checkpoints on all roads leading into Kandahar and started searching vehicles entering and exiting the city.

Earlier this month, President Hamid Karzai dispatched police reinforcements to Kandahar to crack down on militant activities.

(AP)

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