 Afghan security forces have captured Taliban leader Mohammad Omar's personal security chief. Naqibullah Khan, who headed Omar's household security, and another Taliban member, Qayoom Angar, were travelling in a van to this southern city when they were stopped. After they were caught, eight more Taliban fighters were arrested here and a cache of remote-control bombs, time bombs, several other explosive devices and radios was seized. Security forces have picked up at least 27 militants, including the brother of a former Taliban governor of Kandahar, since Saturday night. The security official said they were picked up following a tip-off from a Taliban insider. The Taliban's most senior military commander played down the significance of the arrests, suggesting the men might be "ordinary Taliban". But the security official said Khan was a dangerous killer who remained in charge of Omar's security. "During the (October presidential) election this man killed nine government intelligence agents in the Meyansheen district of Kandahar province."| In the story we ran yesterday, the Beeb Taliban watcher said he wasn't a threat... |
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