News - Afghanistan

National Directorate of Security on Saturday announced that an army officer has been arrested on charges of cooperating with Pakistan's intelligence agency and terrorist networks.

Speaking at a press conference National Directorate of Security (NDS) Spokesman said the officer, Gul Mohammad, was not only disclosing classified information in defence ministry, but was also planning to pave the ground for insurgent attacks to target key government locations in Kabul, including defence ministry and Isaf headquarters.

Now that Afghan security forces have taken security lead in a number of relatively peaceful regions, insurgents have become even more active targeting locations in areas that have recently slipped into control of Afghan forces in a bid to show that the Afghans are not capable enough to maintain their own security.

The suspected officer, as he said, served in army for eight years and was in charge of a number of pivotal security checkpoints.

"The officer was providing Pakistan with classified information of defence ministry which is a national treason," the NDS Spokesman Lotfullah Mashal told reporters.

Mr Mashal said a number of Iranian-made bombs and arms have been seized which could be a sign of some Iranian circles' role in ongoing violence in the country.

"We have seized Iranian-made explosives, arms and long-distance missiles, and still lack concrete evidence that could prove Iranian government engagement with supply of arms to insurgents," Mr Mashal said.

Iranian border forces have long been accused of collaborating with cross-border drug smuggling by officials in Kabul.