Senior Afghan policeman held over planting bombs

Menace of Afghan IEDs

A senior Afghan policeman has been arrested in connection with planting and storing roadside bombs, Nato officials said.

The policeman was held by Afghan and coalition forces in northern Parwan province on Friday.

A Nato statement said that the policeman was "linked to criminal activities, including a murder."

Roadside bombs are frequently used to attack foreign and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, correspondents say.

Taliban fighters make roadside bombs, known as IEDs (improvised explosive devices), from mines and explosives.

They are activated by pressure plates, trip wires or mobile phones.

As foreign troops have become better at detecting IEDs, the militants have become more sophisticated in modifying their designs, our correspondent adds.

In November 2009 five British soldiers were killed by an Afghan policeman they were mentoring.

Correspondents say policemen in Afghanistan are badly equipped and poorly paid.

Many in the force complain that they are neglected and morale in many police units is low.