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Afghan Police Set Deadline for Hand-Over of Illegal Arms
Monday, January 14, 2002
The News

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan
Security forces have set a deadline for the handover of illegal weapons in Kandahar and gunmen face a year in jail if they fail to comply, a senior police official said on Sunday.

Inspector-General Jamal Akram, responsible for law and order throughout three southwest provinces, told Reuters he had set the deadline for midnight on Thursday. "Kandahar used to be the bastion of the ruling Taliban until December and our small intelligence network has been working hard to pinpoint stockpiles of illegal arms," Akram said. The burly, bearded ex-guerrilla leader said his 1,700-strong force would raid any remaining hideouts and arrest any culprits.

They faced a year in prison. Akram said his force had in three weeks driven 160 armed groups from the city. "When the Taliban collapsed, many of their commanders came into Kandahar city with their men and weapons. We drove them out. We're talking about four to five thousand men," he said in an interview.

Asked what happened to the Taliban prisoners, Akram said there were no political prisoners under the country's new interim government and most had been set free provided they gave up their arms.
(More: AfghanNews.net News Source)
2002 © The News.

Dan