LOC10:23
07:23 GMT
troops
LONDON, July 16 (KUNA) -- A man claiming to be the rogue Afghan soldier who
killed three UK troops said he acted alone after being angered by British
conduct, it was reported here Friday.
The man - who said he was Talib Hussein - contacted the BBC bureau in
Kabul, insisting he had not spoken to the Taliban before the killings, the
corporation said.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was aware of the call, but added
"care must be taken not to accept their accounts at face value."
The three UK troops were killed in the attack on a base in Helmand Province
last Monday.
There was no transcript of the reported conversation immediately available
but journalist Dawood Azami, of the BBC's Pashto service, wrote, "He said the
shooting of British soldiers was his own idea, and that he had had no contact
with the Taliban, Iran or Pakistan beforehand. It was only after the shooting
that he had joined the Taliban.
"We cannot be certain that the man was Talib Hussein but I questioned him
about his name, age, ethnicity, home village and the duration of his military
service."
Azami said he called the man after the Taliban contacted his bureau with a
mobile phone.
He said, "An intermediary then passed the phone to a man, who said he was
21-year-old Talib Hussein from the central Ghazni province of Afghanistan.
"During the interview, which lasted about 10 minutes, he told me he was
angry at the conduct of British troops in Helmand province."
He accused them of killing civilians, including children.
Responding to the claims in a statement, the MoD said, "We are aware that
an individual has contacted the media claiming responsibility for the killing
of three British soldiers on Tuesday morning in Helmand Province.
"Whilst we cannot comment on the legitimacy of this individual's claims to
be the suspect responsible for this cowardly attack, it is ridiculous to
suggest that we are engaged in suicide attacks or are deliberately killing
civilians.
"Insurgents and those who are against the coalition mission in Afghanistan
routinely make false and exaggerated claims and so care must be taken not to
accept their accounts at face value."
UK special forces are reportedly involved in a massive manhunt for Hussein,
following the attack which the MoD suspects was premeditated. (end)
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KUNA 161023 Jul 10NNNN