Pakistan arrests Taleban suspects

It is alleged that many Taleban fighters fled to Balochistan in 2001

Pakistani police say they have arrested nine suspected Taleban militants in the south-western province of Balochistan.

The arrests were made on Sunday during a raid at a hospital where six of the arrested men were receiving treatment for bullet wounds, they said.

At least 42 Afghan nationals have been arrested from private hospitals in the provincial capital, Quetta, in the past two months.

Police say they usually deny any links with Taleban during interrogation.

Afghan 'links'

Police said the six men with bullet wounds were admitted to Al Khidmat hospital in Quetta's Saryab Road area for treatment in August, accompanied by the three others.

"They are Taleban, and they have links with those living in Afghanistan. They had no documents so we will hand them over to the Afghan authorities," Balochistan's police chief, Chaudhary Mohammad Yaqub, said.

In July, Pakistani police said they had arrested more than 50 Taleban militants in Balochistan.

Afghan authorities have in the past expressed doubt that suspects handed over by Pakistan had done anything wrong.

The Afghan government, the US and Nato all allege that there has been a strong Taleban presence in Quetta since the movement was ejected from Afghanistan in 2001.

Correspondents say while Pakistan has vigorously fought against suspected al-Qaeda remnants in the frontier tribal regions of North and South Waziristan, it has been accused of "going soft" when it comes to dealing with the Taleban.

Gas-rich Balochistan has also seen months of violence this year as tribal groups push for greater political and economic rights.