Kabul to trade Taliban commander's body for hostages

Source: Reuters

KABUL, June 5 (Reuters) - The Afghan government has agreed to hand over the body of a slain Taliban commander to his family in return for the release of five local health workers captured by the Islamist insurgents, an official said on Tuesday.

The five were kidnapped in the southern province of Kandahar in March.

Their captors originally demanded the release of Taliban prisoners as ransom and instead this week asked for the body of Taliban leader Mullah Dadullah who U.S.-led forces killed last month, the official said.

"Yesterday it was agreed to," said Abdullah Fahim, a health ministry advisor. "It's their right to have the body of their relative," he added.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KLR194170.htm

Source: Reuters

Taliban kills hostage over Dadullah body-spokesman
05 Jun 2007 10:22:27 GMT
Source: Reuters

(Recasts with killing, details)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 5 (Reuters) - The Taliban
beheaded a hostage on Tuesday after the government failed
to hand over the body of a slain commander for the militant
group, a purported spokesman said.

The Afghan government had agreed to hand over the body
of Mullah Dadullah, who was killed by U.S.-led forces last
month, in return for the release of five local health workers
captured by the Islamist insurgents, an official said
earlier.

But Shahabuddin Attal, who introduces himself as a Taliban
spokesman, said a Dadullah family member had gone to
retrieve the body but it was not handed over.

He warned that the guerrillas would chop off the heads of the
other hostages should the government again fail to hand over
Dadullah's body.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL202759.htm

Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Thursday, 7 June 2007, 13:48 GMT 14:48 UK

Taleban handed commander's body

The Taleban say Afghan officials have handed over to them the body
of former senior commander Mullah Dadullah in exchange for the
release of hostages.

Dadullah, who was killed last month in a battle, has been reburied
in southern Kandahar province, the Taleban said.

Four hostages held by the Taleban have been freed, Afghan officials
confirm. There is no news of a fifth hostage.

A Taleban spokesman said earlier the man was killed because the
government delayed handing over Dadullah's body.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6729343.stm