6 Afghan terror suspects seized

— Afghan police on Sunday arrested six men and seized suicide vests, assault rifles and more than 50 hand grenades during a raid on a residential building in central Kabul, senior officials said.

Kabul Police Chief Gen. Mohammad Ayub Salangi said an investigation was under way to determine the identities of the men he described as “terrorists” and what they were planning to attack.

Deputy Kabul Police Chief Daud Amin said police discovered the explosive vests and at least 55 hand grenades among other weapons in the house.

The raid happened as British Prime Minister David Cameron was meeting in London with the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan to discuss prospects for peace talks with the Taliban. Cameron initiated the meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari last year to boost cooperation among thecountries and promote regional stability.

The talks, on Sunday and today, were expected to focus on preventing a Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan when British, American and other NATO troops withdraw from the country by the end of next year. Britain said the trilateral meeting would include Afghan and Pakistani army and intelligence chiefs for the first time.

Cameron planned to dine with Karzai and Zardari at his country residence Chequers on Sunday evening before holding formal talks with both leaders and their top officials early today.

Recently, teams of Taliban suicide bombers carried out two large-scale attacks in central Kabul.

On Jan. 21, five Taliban suicide bombers attacked the traffic police headquarters, killing three policemen and wounding at least 30 people. All five attackers were killed in a nine-hour gun battle. That attack happened less than a week after six Taliban suicide bombers attacked the gates of the Afghan intelligence service, killing one guard and wounding dozens.

In other violence this weekend, an Afghan government official said a roadside bomb killed a family of five, including two young children, on Saturday night in southern Afghanistan.

Information for this article was contributed by Mirwais Khan and Patrick Quinn of The Associated Press.

Front Section, Pages 5 on 02/04/2013

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