Afghan suicide plot thwarted, 18 soldiers arrested | WPN World People News

Around 18 Afghan soldiers were arrested Tuesday after 11 suicide vests were seized from the defence ministry compound here, foiling an apparent mass suicide attack on the high-security ministry and on commuter buses for government employees, security officials said.

The Afghan Ministry of Defence has, however, dismissed the report as "rumors".

The suspects apparently planned to detonate the explosive-lined vests on 11 buses carrying 1,100 personnel from one compound to the next.

The arrest of Afghan soldiers, many of who are members of the Afghan National Army, has compounded fears of renewed violence in Kabul.

The arrests come a day after three NATO troops were killed in two separate incidents by gunmen in the wake of unrest over the shooting spree by a US soldier in Kandahar.

The discovery of the suicide vests in the defence ministry compound - one of the most fortified parts of Kabul, less than a mile from the presidential palace has led to concerns that the Taliban might be planning a major offensive.

Most of the suicide vests were discovered late on Monday afternoon in the guard sheds around a parking lot in the defence ministry compound.

The Ministry of Defence, rejecting the reports, in a statement asked that all media agencies, domestic and international, only report on defence matters "after checking with responsible sections and people of this ministry."

Anger against US and NATO forces has been simmering after the alleged burning of Korans by US troops in February. It took the form of mass protests following the March 11 massacre of Afghan civilians by a US soldier.

NATO is due to withdraw its combat forces from Afghanistan by 2014.

Source: The Asia News.Net