January 10, 2002	Thursday	Shawwal 25, 1422

KANDAHAR, Jan 9: A spokesman for the governor of Kandahar has accused Iran of interfering in the situation in Helmand and Herat provinces.

Khaled Pashtun, spokesman for Haji Gul Agha, who is governor of southern Kandahar province and also in charge of the neighbouring provinces of Helmand, Zabol and Uruzgan, said “senior Iranian officials” were interfering in the two provinces.

“In Uruzgan and Zabol (provinces), the situation is ok” even if there are “some local disturbances”, but in southern Helmand “the situation is pretty bad, because of the Iranian interference,” Khaled Pashtun said on Tuesday.

He said General Sardar Baghwani, a senior Iranian military official from the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad “was spotted several times in Helmand province.”

“He brought some aid in arms and cash for local commanders there,” he added.—AFP