Mullah Omar Security Chief Seized
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James Joyner | Tuesday, December 14, 2004 |
Taliban chief’s former aide seized (CNN-Reuters)
Afghan security forces have captured Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar’s former personal security chief as he traveled in a van to the southern city of Kandahar, provincial officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The capture of Toor Mullah Naqibullah Khan, who headed Mullah Omar’s household security, could help U.S. and Afghan forces track down his boss, one of the most wanted fugitives in the U.S.-led war on terror. Osama bin Laden, who ran his al Qaeda network in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban, is also believed to be at large in the region.
“We have arrested top Taliban figures Toor Mullah Naqibullah Khan and Mullah Qayoom Angar on the way between Arghandab and Kandahar. They were carrying a satellite telephone and some important documents,” said a senior Kandahar security official, who requested anonymity. “We are hopeful we will arrest more Taliban figures and we hope that we can arrest their leader Mullah Omar,” he said. Khalid Pashtun, spokesman for the provincial government, confirmed the arrests.
With the latest capture, security forces have picked up at least 19 militants since Saturday night, including the brother of a former Taliban governor of Kandahar.
Good news.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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