Afghan forces detain Taliban key commander, militants kidnap 35 professors

In the process of Afghan militancy and counter-militancy, the government forces raided and captured a key commander of Taliban militants in Taliban former stronghold the southern Kandahar province on Tuesday, while armed militants kidnapped nearly three dozen Kandahar University professors, officials confirmed.

Personnel of the National Directorate for Security (NDS) or the country's intelligence agency captured a Taliban key commander, Atta Mohammad, nicknamed Hajji Tafsir, in Maiwand district of Kandahar province on Tuesday, a statement of the provincial administration said.

"Acting upon intelligence report the personnel of NDS arrested Taliban key commander Atta Mohammad nicknamed Hajji Tafsir from Maiwand district on Tuesday," the statement said.

Describing the arrest as a major blow to the Taliban militants, the statement said that Hajji Tafsir had been assigned by the Taliban leadership to disrupt the presidential runoff set for June 14.

Taliban militants who have vowed to derail the elections have yet to make comment.

However, in a related development, unknown armed men abducted nearly three dozen professors of the Kandahar University on their way to the capital city Kabul, a local official said.

"Between 30 to 35 professors of Kandahar University were going to Kabul on Tuesday morning when the anti-government armed militants in the neighboring Ghazni province opened fire on their bus and after injuring a professor took the others to an unknown place," spokesman for Kandahar provincial administration Dawa Khan Minawal told Xinhua. He also said that the injured professor has been hospitalized in Ghazni.

Meanwhile, spokesman for Ghazni's provincial government, Shafiq Nang in talks with Xinhua confirmed the incident.

"A group of unknown gunmen stopped a bus carrying university teachers on their way from the southern Kandahar province to national capital Kabul. They set fire to the bus and took the professors, numbered around 35 to an unknown location today," he said.

He said the incident took place along the Kandahar-Kabul highway in Mullanaw Baba area of the Qara Bagh district southwest of provincial capital Ghazni city.

Although some officials pointed to the Taliban for the abduction, the armed outfit has yet to claim responsibility.