Afghan forces kill Taliban key commander, detain 4 would-be suicide bombers, Taliban denies

 Afghan law enforcing agencies claimed to have killed a key Taliban commander and arrested four would-be suicide bombers elsewhere in the conflict-ridden country since Monday. In the latest blow inflicted to the Taliban militants, according to police, a Taliban key commander was killed in the southern Ghazni province Wednesday morning. "Acting upon intelligence report, police raided a house in Angaran area outside Ghazni's provincial capital the Ghazni city early today (Wednesday) morning, killing Taliban key commander Mullah Gul Mohammad," provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid told Xinhua. There were no casualties on police personnel during the operations, he said. The official also stressed that the elimination of Mullah Gul Mohammad is a major blow to Taliban militants operating in Ghazni and adjoining provinces. However, a purported Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media via telephone from unknown location rejected the claim, saying no Taliban fighter was killed in Ghazni today. Afghan security forces, according to officials had captured four would-be suicide bombers in the eastern Kunar and Kabul provinces respectively on Monday. Units of police in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province captured two would-be suicide bombers on Monday, a statement of Interior Ministry released here on Tuesday said. "Afghan National Police arrested two suicide bombers before they could reach to a target in the Nari district of eastern Kunar province, yesterday (Monday)," the statement said. In a related development, Afghanistan's National Directorate for Security (NDS) or the country's intelligence agency captured two militants along with four suicide vests and thus foiled a possible terror attack in Kabul. "Personnel of NDS arrested two members of Haqqani terrorist network with four suicide vests, six pieces of AK-47 and nine magnetic bombs and other explosives in Kabul province on Monday," NDS said in a statement. Haqqani network, the military wing of Taliban outfit, according to the statement, had sent the would-be suicide bombers along with suicide vests from Pakistan's tribal area of North Wazirstan to Khost province and then to Kabul to conduct suicide attacks and undermine electioneering. Meanwhile, the Taliban outfit which has been fighting the government, in a statement posted on its website Wednesday rebuffed the claim, saying no Taliban fighters have been arrested in Kabul and in Kunar provinces.