Afghan militant camp disbands

Rishkor was believed to have provided military training

By Kate Clark in Kabul

Fighters have left the Rishkhor military training camp near the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Villagers living nearby said those leaving included Arabs and Pakistanis.

The Taleban have come under increasing pressure from their main backer, Pakistan, to expel Pakistani militants.

Rishkhor has been a secret place for years.

The camp is only about a half hour's drive from Kabul, but its security is protected by a check-post on the only road and a ring of mountains.

In Afghanistan, it was widely believed to be the main base for Arab and Pakistani militants who were here to fight for the Taleban.

People said they arrived after America bombed camps related to the Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden in 1997.

Deserted

I went to Rishkhor unannounced and was allowed to look all over the camp.

There were slogans calling for the liberation of Kashmir and signs saying welcome in Arabic and Urdu.

But a Taleban commander said they had never had foreigners there.

The camp was deserted, he said, because most people had gone home for the harvest.

Lower ranking Taleban said the Arabs and Pakistanis had left a month ago - a story confirmed by local villagers.

That would be just after a senior Taleban delegation went to Islamabad.

The Pakistani government said they had asked the Taleban to stop training Pakistanis and to send the militants home.

Islamabad says they foment sectarian strife.

The Taleban have also come under fire from America and Russia for allegedly training Islamic militants.

They deny they have any training camps.

They do say foreign Muslims have a right to support the jihad against the Afghan opposition but the Taleban say they do not need their help.