Afghanistan Arrests Seven IMU Suspects

(RFE/RL) KABUL, July 1, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Afghanistan's National Directorate for Security says at least seven people with alleged ties to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have been arrested in northern Afghanistan in the past several days, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reported.

A directorate spokesman said five men were arrested in Faryab Province and two more in Jowzjan Province.

Details about their identities and nationalities are due to be released on July 2.

The ferghana.ru website reports two of the detainees are close allies of IMU leader Tahir Yuldashev. The IMU was established with the goal of overthrowing Uzbek President Islam Karimov and it aligned with the Taliban when that group ruled Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistani intelligence officers say they have arrested a ring of purported militants supplying suicide bombers and explosive devices to Taliban fighters in neighboring Afghanistan.

Police said today the eight-member gang, led by former fighters of the banned Jaish-e Mohammad militant group, was based in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan Province.

Police said members confessed during interrogation to a spate of suicide attacks and bomb blasts targeting foreign forces in Afghanistan.

(with material from AFP)