Pak. seizes three Taliban copters

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 9. Pakistan is believed to have seized three helicopter gunships belonging to the Taliban when they landed in Kurram Agency in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) after a tip-off by a U.S. airborne surveillance aircraft.

The News said the choppers took off from airstrips in Paktia province in Afghanistan, bordering the tribal areas of the NWFP - and landed at a location in Kurram Agency on Monday.

The newspaper, quoting sources, said the Taliban authorities decided to move these helicopters from air strips in Khost and Gardez once the U.S. forces started pounding Afghanistan on October 7. It said Pakistani authorities faced some resistance from the tribal elders in their attempt to remove the helicopters to a Pakistani air force base.

Well-placed sources said the U.S. surveillance aircraft picked the movement of the helicopters on Monday morning and passed this information to Pakistan with a request that the helicopters be intercepted or seized immediately, the paper said.

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Section  : International
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