Afghan security officials say they have foiled a huge attack in the
capital Kabul, as they gave details of the seizure of 10 tonnes of
explosives.
The explosives were found in a truck seized along with five militants in
an operation last Sunday, a National Directorate of Security spokesman
said.
The group was planning to attack crowded areas in the capital, he said.
He also gave reporters a video detailing plans for a separate attack on
Vice-President Mohammed Khalili.
Describing the planned bomb attack on Kabul, the spokesman, Shafiqullah
Tahiri, said the 10 tonnes of explosives were stuffed in 400 bags and
hidden under piles of potatoes.
"If this amount of explosives had been used, it could have caused
large-scale bloodshed," Mr Tahiri said.
The five suspects had confessed that the planned attack was coordinated
by two Taliban commanders with links to Pakistan's main intelligence
organisation the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), according to
the spokesman.
The arrests, which came during a wave of insurgent attacks around the
country, was kept quiet at the time because of the ongoing security
operation, he said.
Afghanistan has often accused the ISI of involvement in supporting
anti-government insurgents in Afghanistan - an allegation strongly
denied by Pakistan.
The BBC's Bilal Sarwary says the security forces are under criticism for
failing to anticipate the attacks, and are keen to show that they are
making progress in their investigations.
In a separate operation, security forces detained a group of fighters -
including suicide bombers belonging to the Pakistan-based Haqqani
network - planning to assassinate Afghanistan's second Vice-President,
Mohammed Khalili, Mr Tahiri said.
The Haqqani network is a mainly Afghan ethnic Pashto group operating out
of the north-western Pakistani tribal areas, and is seen as linked to,
but separate from, the Afghan Taliban.
"Her enemies grow drunk on the fruits of her adulteries..." The harlot
is stronger now, but she will fall...
Consul Nicholas Moore
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17796556
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