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Legendary Opposition Commander Executed by Taliban
Renowned Afghan opposition commander Abdul Haq, arrested by the Taliban authorities early Friday, has been executed for treason under a religious decree issued at a meeting of Afghan religious scholars.
According to reports reaching here from Kabul, Abdul Haq, along with his two followers, was shot dead with an automatic rifle around 13:00 in the afternoon in the outskirts of Kabul.
Abdul Haq, considered by Taliban as "the most important opposition commander," was arrested in Azra of Logar province at 2: 30 (local time) Friday morning after being besieged for two days. Satellite phones, a large amount of U.S. dollars, three vehicles and "important" documents were found with him.
According to a Taliban spokesman, a U.S. helicopter bombed Taliban position in Azra Thursday night, trying to rescue the commander and his team from the siege, but failed.
Haq's party exchanged fire with the Taliban side, during which four Taliban soldiers and three civilians were injured.
According to his brother Mohammed Haq in a press conference here, the Afghan opposition commander was on a peace mission for former Afghan King Zahir Shah.
The Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported that after the arrest of Abdul Shah, the Taliban authorities warned the supporters of the United States and former king Zahir Shah not to enter Afghanistan.
Taliban intelligence chief Qari Ahmedullah told AIP that Taliban intelligence personnel had been deployed all over the country and no opponent could be dispatched into Afghanistan.
He said that they had been informed when the opposition commander arrived in Peshawar before trying to enter Afghanistan.
Abdul Haq, 42, was the most well-known commander of Hizb-e- Islami organization during the time of Afghan Jihad (Holy War) against Soviet invasion.
He made his reputation in fighting the Soviet Army, which was finally forced out of Afghanistan in 1989 after a 10-year guerrilla campaign backed by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
After the collapse of a Moscow-backed government in Kabul in 1992, Abdul Haq was made security minister in an interim mujahideen (holy warrior) government, but he quickly pulled out of politics to set up an import-export company in Dubai.
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