UN welcomes Iranian restraint in dispute with Taliban: IRNA
Tue 06 Oct 98 - 00:57 GMT

TEHRAN, Oct 6 (AFP) - United Nations special envoy for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi expressed his appreciation Monday for Iran's restraint in its dispute with Kabul's Taliban militia, the Iranian News Agency IRNA reported.

Brahimi, who met Iranian Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani and Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, said that attacks on diplomats were to be condemned in any circumstances.

He said the international community understood Iran's feelings in the wake of the murder by the Taliban of eight Iranian diplomats and an IRNA journalist when the militia seized the town of Mazar-i-sharif from opposition forces on August 8.

IRNA said in his talks with Kharazi Brahimi agreed with the Iranians that the bodies of all the diplomats should be returned to Tehran and Iranian prisoners held by the Taliban freed.

He said he would urge Pakistan to put pressure on the Taliban to comply with UN resolutions.

Iran has massed large military forces near the border with Afghanistan and is about to carry out military manoeuvres involving nearly 200,000 men. But it has denied Taliban allegations of violating Afgan airspace.