Quetta Shura can't enter Afghanistan:US

Pakistan

Quetta Shura can't enter Afghanistan:US

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Nato forces will continue hot pursuit of Taliban in Afghanistan.

07 October,2011 10:41 am

US Major-General John Toolan said Quetta Shura would not dare enter Afghanistan for fear of being killed or arrested.He said a Taliban commander suspected of being involved in the deaths of British and American troops in Afghanistans Helmand province is to be offered immunity from prosecution after giving himself up. The commander and 30 of his fighters surrendered in Sangin yesterday to an American general and the governor of the province, where 99 British soldiers and Marines were killed by the insurgents between 2006 and 2010.The Taliban commander, who has not yet been identified because of fears for his safety, promised to bring in another 300 of his fighters by the end of the month. US Marine Major-General John Toolan said the commander had also offered to kill a senior Taliban figure linked to the insurgents senior leadership in Quetta. General Toolan said that the individual was on the coalitions target list and would probably now flee the area, knowing that the local people would be after him. Speaking to Pentagon reporters on a video link from his headquarters at Camp Leatherhead in Helmand, General Toolan said the man had come of his own volition.Under the rules of the reintegration programme, once an individual had satisfied officials that he is genuinely changing sides, he is normally granted immunity. Defectors also receive cash rewards for two or three months, the general said. In Helmand we dont have too many, so today was a big success story [because] weve got a Taliban commander who is willing to come in from the cold, General Toolan said. Asked if he had evidence that the Taliban commander had killed and wounded coalition troops in Sangin, he said: I wouldnt doubt that at all.