Daily Security Brief: March 7, 2012

NANGARHAR: Police impounded 225 unregistered vehicles and seized 50 unlicenced arms in eastern Nangarhar province on Wednesday, officials said. 

Over the past 24 hours, 11 individuals had been detained for carrying 50 different kinds of weapons, including AK-47s and pistols, from different areas of Jalalabad, the deputy police chief said.

Col. Ebadullah Talwar told Pajhwok Afghan News Javid Zaman, the son of Haji Zaman Ghamsharik, a former police chief, surrendered four unlicenced assault rifles to security forces.

Col. Ghulam Dastagir Rahimi, the provincial traffic department head, said 225 unregistered vehicles had been impounded in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, and some districts.  

“As long as their owners don’t receive number plates, the vehicles will remain confiscated,” the traffic official said. Based on a Cabinet decision, unregistered vehicle owners were earlier given six months to complete the process, he added.

But Parvaiz, a resident of the 2nd police district, accused traffic officials of accepting bribes from owners of unregistered vehicles.

However, Obaidullah, another resident, happy over the campaign, said illegal weapons and vehicles disrupted the security situation in the province.

—Abdul Mueed Hashimi

mrh/ma /mud

NIMROZ/FARAH: Three Taliban fighters and 27 suspects have been detained during a series of security operations in southwestern Nimroz and western Farah provinces, officials said on Wednesday.

The militants included a commander named Mullah Marja, accused of supplying logistics to the insurgents in Nimroz. He was held along with two of his accomplices during separate operations in Khashrod and Zaranj.

Police chief Col. Mohammad Musa Rasuli told Pajhwok Afghan News the rebels were also involved in a grenade attack on the UNHCR office in Zaranj, killing two policemen and a cook at the police headquarters. A hand grenade, a pistol and 500 Kalashnikov bullets were recovered.

Separately, 27 suspected militants were detained along with three Kalashnikovs and 70 kilograms of opium during a joint operation by Afghan and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops in the Bala Baluk district of Farah province.

The joint forces called for air support after they engaged in a battle with the suspects, said the provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Shamsur Rahman.

–Zahin & Ramin

myn/ma/mud

QALA-I-NAW (PAN): Suspected Taliban militants kidnapped three engineers at the statistics department along with their driver in the Maqur district of northwestern Badghis province, officials said on Thursday.

The four were seized in the Qala-i-Bandbai village on Tuesday evening, the police chief said. Col. Mohammad Jabar Saleh told Pajhwok Afghan News they were trying to secure the release of the engineers with the mediation of tribal elders.

The engineers had gone to the area to assess the danger of possible natural disasters in the district, said the statistics department head, Abdul Haleem.

He added the engineers had contacted him after being kidnapped by a local Taliban commander. Efforts are underway in cooperation with tribal elders and security forces to ensure their release, according to the director.

A tribal elder, Haji Moinuddin, said: “The officials came here without informing us.” Security personnel had asked elders to negotiate with the Taliban commander, Toofan, the safe release of the engineers.

–Abdul Latif Ayubi

myn/ma/mud