UK probes Afghanistan 'arrest'

A British or American may have been captured

The Foreign Office is urgently investigating a report that the Taleban have arrested an "American or British" man inside Afghanistan.

Taleban claims that they have made the arrest are being reported in the Daily Mail.

In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We cannot confirm the report.

"We have received no reports of any British nationals missing or detained.

"We are urgently looking into the matter."

Foreigner 'held'

According to the Mail, Afghanistan's intelligence chief Qari Ahmedullah announced that the foreigner was held on Saturday near the northern city of Kunduz, and was "pretending" to be mute when questioned.

Ahmedullah was quoted by a Pakistani news agency as saying: "We are sure he is either American or British.

"He has red colour, green eyes and red hair.

"We will not spare him. Sometimes he writes a very strange name.

"We don't know his name. We are trying to extract something from him."

This came as UK Prime Minister Tony Blair ruled out a halt to the bombing of Afghanistan.

When concern was raised about aid getting through to starving Afghans, he told the House of Commons on Thursday that the Taleban regime was the biggest obstacle to this.

Speaking during question time Mr Blair said that everything possible was being done to ensure that aid was reaching starving Afghans.

British journalist Yvonne Ridley, who was captured by the Taleban in Afghanistan at the end of September, was released after 11 days.

The Sunday Express reporter said that she had entered the country to cover the humanitarian crisis there.