20 Taliban militants give up fighting in N. Afghanistan

(file photo)

PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban group composed of 20 fighters Thursday gave up fighting and laid down their arms in Afghanistan's Baghlan province, 160 km north of Kabul. "Twenty Taliban fighters under Mullah Sayed Ahmad who were active in Nahrin district over the past couple of years gave up fighting and handed over their weapons to authorities today," security official Abdul Hafiz Karimi told the press while welcoming the former militants in a ceremony.

He said that giving up fighting by these former fighters would further strengthen security in Baghlan province.

The government would spare no efforts to provide job opportunities to the former fighters and ensure their security, the official said.

According to government officials, more than 3,000 Taliban fighters have laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process over the past year. However, Taliban militants have rejected the claim as baseless.

from XINHUA
 2012-11-29 18:59:17

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Explosion injure 7 people in Baghlan province

Afghanistan-Baghlan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to local security officials in northern Baghlan province, at least 7 people were injured following a roadside bomb explosion in this province.

The officials further added, the incident took place in Nahrin district of northern Baghlan province after an improvised explosive device planted under a culvert went off.

District security chief for Nahrin Gen. Noor Gul confirming the incident said, at least 7 people including 3 Afghan intelligence officers and 4 civilians were injured following the incident.

Gen. Noor Gul further added, at least 1 of the injured individual was in a critical condition and was taken to Pul-e-Khumri for treatment purposes.

He said, the incident took place while the officials were on their way back to Nahrin district from Burka district.

No group including the Taliban militants have so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

Local officials Taliban militants for such incidents as Taliban fighters frequently use improvised explosive device and roadside bombs to target Afghan and foreign troops which normally leads to civilians casualties.

Author: Ajmal Omeri, Baghlan province.
from KHAAMA

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5 injured in northern Afghan blast

PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Five people were injured Monday when a bicycle bomb went off in northern Afghan province of Baghlan, a police source said.

"A bomb attached to a bicycle was detonated when a vehicle with the National Directorate of Security (NDS) was passing by a road in Nahrin District's bazaar at about 11:45 a.m. local time," police chief of the district Noor Gul told Xinhua.

The injured include four civilians and a security member of NDS or intelligence agency, the police chief said.

The wounded people, who sustained serious injuries in the explosion, had been admitted to a district hospital in the province some 160 km north of capital city of Kabul, Gul added.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far but Taliban militants have been behind most suicide and roadside bomb attacks across the post-Taliban country.

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