Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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June 7, 2007

Taleban Claims Commander's Body Swapped for Afghan Hostages
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=17BF296:A6F02AD83191E160E3CA6C3956CC74339574F7DCC14957C0 Purported
spokesman says Taleban freed four members of Afghan medical team and
turned over body of fifth medical worker A man claiming to be a
spokesman for the Taleban says the body of top commander Mullah
Dadullah has been handed over to the insurgents in exchange for the
release of four Afghan hostages.

The purported spokesman, Shuhabuddin Athul, says relatives of Mullah
Dadullah received his body early Thursday. He says the Taleban then
freed four members of an Afghan medical team and turned over the body
of a fifth medical worker.

On Tuesday, the Taleban said that one of the five hostages was killed
because authorities had not handed over Dadullah's body on time.

Mullah Dadullah was one of the Taleban's most brutal commanders,
linked to a string of bombings, beheadings and kidnappings in
Afghanistan. He was killed last month while fighting U.S.-led troops
in Helmand province.

In another development, at least five people have been arrested in
connection with the murder of a female Afghan journalist earlier this
week in Parwan province.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says Afghan and
international forces have killed or wounded 30 Taleban militants in
fighting since Wednesday.

And elsewhere in Nangahar province, the U.S.-led coalition says troops
killed a militant in a raid on a suspected al-Qaida hideout. It says
the troops also detained three men and seized weapons.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




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