ANA officer held on suspicion of planning attacks

On Saturday, NDS spokesman Lutfullah Mashal told a press conference that the officer was in charge of maintaining security for army headquarters in the Shashdarak, Khwaja Boghra, and Pul-e-Charkhi areas of Kabul City.

He added that the officer was planning to conduct three attacks on army headquarters in those areas this week, on orders from the Taliban.

Mashal said the suspect had confessed to having links with Taliban commanders Maulawi Qadar Gul and Ghafar in eastern Nuristan province during initial interrogations. The suspect said the commanders had asked him to allow numerous suicide attackers to enter the army headquarters, according to Mashal.

Pajhwok was unable to talk to the suspect.

Mashal said the suspect said the Taliban commanders had promised him 200,000 afghanis in return for carrying out the plan, but he was arrested by NDS officials before he could do so.

Mashal said the officer’s name is Gul Mohammad, son of Kara Malak from the Waigal district of Nuristan province. He currently lives in the Qalaye Gulbaz area of Kabul’s 12th police district. Mashal said the suspect was also involved in leaking confidential government information to the Taliban, including information about security forces in Nuristan.

He said the officer had worked in the Afghan National Army for 8 years.

This comes after 12 National Army officials were arrested in connection with an attack on the Defence Ministry.

He also said the NDS arrested many suspects from different provinces.

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