10 militant groups trying to disrupt jirga busted: NDS

KABUL on the strategic cooperation deal with the United States were busted in Kabul, an intelligence official said on Monday.

The groups were instructed to attack the tribal assembly venue from Dasht-i-Barchi, Khak-i-Jabbar, Qargha and other areas close to the Kabul Polytechnic Institute, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) spokesman said.

Lotfullah Mashal told a news conference the insurgents were linked to Haqqani, Lashkar-i-Taiba and other networks. Four vehicles, 11 missiles, more than 80 mortars and four suicide vests were recovered from the detainees.

In a video clip sent to Pajhwok Afghan News, Mohammad Hamid, a resident of the central Maidan Wardak province, confessed to being provided with some hand grenades and three missiles to disrupt the Jirga.

Intelligent networks of neighbouring countries were behind sending to Kabul the rebels arrested in Dewan Bigi area of the fifth police district, the NDS spokesman said, without naming elaborating.

“Not only the militants in Afghanistan wanted to scuttle the jirga; international groups and intelligence agencies of some regional countries also worked on plans to disrupt the event,” he said.

Some of the detainees belonged to the Waziristan tribal regional of Pakistan, Mashal alleged, saying the latest Loya Jirga was different and so were the security threats.

“The strategic deal with the US is something which will help Afghanistan. But the countries which want Afghanistan to remain reliant on them were trying to support militant attacks on the delegates,” he remarked.

The four-day traditional assembly concluded on Saturday with the endorsement of the strategic agreement. In a 76-article declaration, the delegates backed the creation of American bases in the country for a decade.

Endorsing the agreement with the US was necessary for maintaining security and strengthening Afghanistan’s economy, delegates at the four-day assembly said in the declaration, which underlined respect for the Afghan culture, traditions and religion.

frm/mud