Daily Security brief: January 30, 2012

KABUL: Four militants and an Afghan soldier were killed in a series of operations in different parts of the country over the past 24 hours, the interior ministry said on Monday.

At least 28 insurgents and four policemen were wounded during the operations in Takhar, Helmand, Maidan Wardak, Uruzgan, Logar and Paktika provinces.

Another 24 insurgents were detained in a joint operation by Afghan and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers, a statement from the ministry said.

Police seized arms, including six Kalashnikovs, two pistols, 3,300 ammunitions, seven roadside bombs, four hand grenades and 100 pieces of other weapons. Police also defused five anti-vehicle mines, 60 kilograms of explosives and three pressure plates.

Separately, an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier was killed in the Greshk district of southern Helmand province, and four others were wounded in Badghis, Kunar and Ghazni provinces.

The Ministry of Defense said many machinegun bullets and Kalashnikovs were seized in Badghis, Balkh and Farah provinces.

—Pajhwok Report

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KANDAHAR: Two Taliban militants were killed and four others, including a commander, detained in southern Kandahar and central Uruzgan provinces, an official said on Monday.

The two insurgents were killed by police in Arghistan district of Kandahar, the governor’s office said. The militants’ corpses lay at the scene and a Kalashnikov, a pistol and motorbike were recovered.

In Uruzgan, four fighters were detained during an operation in Sar Murghab area of Tirinkot, the provincial capital, a crime branch official at the police headquarter told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Col. Gulab Khan said a local rebel commander, Hamidullah Baloch, was among the detainees. He added two weapons had been seized from the guerrillas.

–Ajmal Wesal & Naadem

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NANGARHAR: A Pakistani citizen was sentenced to six years in jail by a primary court on the charge of using fake currency in eastern Nangarhar province on Monday, an official said.

Abu Baker was detained two months ago in Jalalabad, where was giving a moneychanger fake dollars. He was convicted by a primary court at the end of a public trial in Jalalabad, the provincial capital.

Under Article 19 of the law against internal and external,” Judge Amirzada announced.   

Article 119 of the law provides for deporting the accused to his country and confiscation of the fake currency, the judge said.

But Abu Baker rejected the judgment, saying he had been in Kabul in connection with work and that he had received the fake currency in wages for three months.

“I was converting the currency into Pakistan rupees in Jalalabad, but the moneychanger said the dollars were fake. Consequently, I was arrested by police who did not allow me to explain my position,” the convict concluded.

—Abdul Mueed Hashimi

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