June 11, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1424

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QUETTA, June 10: Afghan authorities on Tuesday released four Frontier Corps men who had been detained in Spin Buldak area on Monday night.

“Four FC men entered Afghan area while chasing a vehicle carrying smuggled goods,” a Frontier Corps official told Dawn over telephone from Chaman.

According to sources, the four FC personnel patrolling in a vehicle in the Roghani refugee camp area signalled a suspected vehicle to stop but the driver tried to escape.

The FC men chased the vehicle, which crossed into Afghanistan and overturned due to speeding, they said. Meanwhile, the FC men entered Afghanistan considering it to be Pakistani territory.

Afghan border security personnel reached the spot, took the FC men in custody with their weapons and vehicle and shifted them to Spin Buldak.

After receiving information about the detention of the FC men, Pishin Scouts Commandant Col Sarwar and other officials held negotiations with Afghan authorities on the border. A tribal elder of Chaman, Jalani Khan, also represented the Pakistani side.

After a long discussion and assurances, the Afghan authorities agreed to release the FC men and they were handed over to Pakistani border officials in the evening.

However, sources said, that the Afghan authorities had not returned the vehicle and weapons.