Afghan Taleban Says 10 Iranians Released
10:06 a.m. Oct 11, 1998 Eastern

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taleban Islamic movement, Mullah Mohammad Omar, Sunday ordered the release of 10 Iranians held prisoners there, a Taleban spokesman said.

The spokesman, quoted by a Pakistan-based Afghan news service, said Omar ordered the release ``in honor'' of a Palestinian delegation that met him Sunday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

The prisoners' release orders came while United Nations special envoy on Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi is in the region trying to ease tensions between Iran and Taleban over the killings of eight Iranian diplomats and a journalist in northern Afghanistan in August.

Sunday's move follows a report by Iranian state television Friday that the Taleban had released and repatriated five Iranians as a result of efforts by Iran's ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a Saudi-based Afghan citizen.

The Iranians released Friday were traders who had been taken captive by the Taleban 15 months ago in western Afghanistan, Iranian television said.

The Taleban says the arrested Iranians had come to Afghanistan to help its opponents.