Afghan rebels ‘free 1200’

Press, 29 March 1980, Page 8

Afghan rebels ‘free 1200’

NZPA-Reuter Islamabad Afghan rebels have raided a Government jail in the north-eastern province of Kunduz and freed about 1200 prisoners, a rebel organisation has claimed in Pakistan. The statement issued by the Hizbe Islami, or Islamic Party, claimed the rebels had'hit the jail last Thursday night because several prominent rebel leaders held there had been scheduled for execution in the next few days. Among those freed were two rebel leaders, Maulvi Ajab Gul and Gari Fida Mohammed Khan, both of whom were jailed during the regime of the slain President, Mohammed Daoud, the statement said. Daoud was the leader of the first of a series of proMoscow Governments that seized power in Afghanistan in April, 1978. One prison official was killed in the attack, according to the rebels. They did not report any rebel losses. The statement also reported rebel attacks at a military airport on the outskirts of Kunduz and on several Government buildings in the citv.

the airport has a military base with about 1000 tanks, according to the statement. It also said the rebels had attacked a military post in north-eastern Takhar province, killing three Soviet soldiers and destroying three tank s Two rebels suffered injuries. None of the .rebel- claims could be independently confirmed. The Soviet Union has poured an estimated 80,000 troops into Afghanistan since December to help Afghanistan’s pro-Moscow Government battle the anticommunist Muslim rebels. The rebels have blown up a vital road bridge between Kabul and the eastern- city of Jalalabad, Soviet television has reported. The main evening news programme showed film of the destroyed bridge, with traffic passing over an emergency steel bridge erected alongside by Soviet Army engineers.