Taleban Frees 4 Medical Workers After Dadullah's Body Released
07 June 2007
A purported spokesman for the Taleban says the militant group has freed four Afghan medical workers after Afghan authorities handed over the body of a top Taleban commander slain last month.
The spokesman, Shuhabuddin Athul, says relatives of Mullah Dadullah received his body early Thursday. He says the Taleban then freed four members of an Afghan medical team and the body of a fifth medical worker.
Their release has not been independently confirmed.
The Taleban abducted the three nurses, a doctor and their driver in Kandahar's Zhari district in late March. The group said Tuesday it had beheaded one of the team members because authorities did not hand over Dadullah's body on time.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says Afghan and international forces have killed or wounded 30 Taleban militants in fighting since Wednesday.
The ministry says Afghan troops backed by warplanes attacked the militants in the southern province of Helmand, scene of intense battles in recent months.
Elsewhere, the U.S.-led coalition says troops killed a militant in a raid on a suspected al-Qaida hideout in the eastern province of Nangarhar. It says the troops also detained three men and seized weapons.
In another battle, Afghan authorities say Taleban fighters attacked a government compound Wednesday in the southern province of Zabul, killing one policeman.
Dadullah died in fighting with Afghan and international troops in Helmand last month. He was the most senior Taleban commander killed since U.S.-led forces pushed the group from power in 2001.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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