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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Top Taleban spokesman 'arrested' | Top Taleban spokesman 'arrested' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Afghan intelligence agents say they have arrested a leading spokesman for the Taleban near the Pakistan border. | Afghan intelligence agents say they have arrested a leading spokesman for the Taleban near the Pakistan border. |
| Intelligence service spokesman Sayed Ansari named him as Dr Muhammad Hanif, who has been speaking for Afghanistan's former rulers since October 2005. | Intelligence service spokesman Sayed Ansari named him as Dr Muhammad Hanif, who has been speaking for Afghanistan's former rulers since October 2005. |
| Mr Ansari told the Associated Press the spokesman had been detained on Monday. He did not say where he is being held. | Mr Ansari told the Associated Press the spokesman had been detained on Monday. He did not say where he is being held. |
| Dr Hanif's capture, if confirmed, would be a notable success for the Afghan government as it battles the Taleban. | Dr Hanif's capture, if confirmed, would be a notable success for the Afghan government as it battles the Taleban. |
| The authorities say more than 3,500 people were killed in Afghanistan in 2006 as bombings by the Taleban and their allies and operations by Nato-led troops soared. | The authorities say more than 3,500 people were killed in Afghanistan in 2006 as bombings by the Taleban and their allies and operations by Nato-led troops soared. |
| 'Confessed' | 'Confessed' |
| Mr Ansari said Dr Hanif had been detained in the border town of Towr Kham in Nangarhar province soon after entering Afghanistan from Pakistan. | Mr Ansari said Dr Hanif had been detained in the border town of Towr Kham in Nangarhar province soon after entering Afghanistan from Pakistan. |
| We had prior information about his coming to Afghanistan and our security forces arrested him along with two other people Sayed Ansari, Intelligence service | |
| Two others travelling with him were also apprehended. | Two others travelling with him were also apprehended. |
| The spokesman first gave his name as Abdulhaq Haqiq, Mr Ansari said. | The spokesman first gave his name as Abdulhaq Haqiq, Mr Ansari said. |
| "But during the investigations we discovered that he is Dr Hanif," he told AP. "He also confessed to it himself." | "But during the investigations we discovered that he is Dr Hanif," he told AP. "He also confessed to it himself." |
| Dr Hanif has been highly active over the past year, regularly e-mailing news organisations with the Taleban's version of events in the east of the country. | |
| A man called Qari Mohammad Yousuf has performed similar functions for the Taleban in the south. | A man called Qari Mohammad Yousuf has performed similar functions for the Taleban in the south. |
| The two men were appointed after the capture in Quetta, Pakistan, of former Taleban spokesman Latifullah Hakimi in October 2005. | The two men were appointed after the capture in Quetta, Pakistan, of former Taleban spokesman Latifullah Hakimi in October 2005. |
| Reuters quoted an unnamed Taleban official who confirmed that Dr Hanif had been caught. | |
| "We got this information today after our fighters told us that they tried Hanif's phone number repeatedly but got no response," the official said by telephone. | |
| "Our commanders in Nangarhar and sources in the Afghan government confirmed the arrest." |