RIYADH, Feb 16: Saudi Arabia is ready to extradite to Kabul three Afghan security officials it has arrested in connection with the murder of the country’s aviation minister, an official said on Saturday.

“Saudi Arabia will extradite the three men, after receiving a request for such a move from the interim Afghan government,” the official said.

Saudi authorities arrested the three Afghans on their arrival in Jeddah on Friday amongst a group of some 890 Haj pilgrims who flew in from Kabul aboard two aircraft, he said.

The trio, including the head of National Security’s political office, General Abdullah Jan Tawhidi, is wanted in connection with the beating to death of interim Afghan aviation and tourism minister Abdul Rahman.

The other two men were named by interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai as General Qalanderbeg, deputy technical officer in the defence ministry, and Saranwal Haleem, prosecutor in the justice ministry.

Omar Samad, spokesman for the Afghan foreign ministry, said “a number” of people, including government officials, had been rounded up on Saturday.

On Friday, Karzai accused senior security officials of “assassinating” Rahman, saying four had been arrested.

His comments contradicted eyewitness reports that intending Hajis, angry planes to take them to Makkah had not arrived, had entered Rahman’s plane where he had been waiting to take off for India.

They threw the minister onto the tarmac, where he was beaten to death by hundreds of pilgrims, the witnesses said.

Karzai cited simply “personal hostility and hatred” as the reasons for the plot against Rahman.—AFP