MIRAMSHAH, March 28: Sixty-nine of the 150 Afghans detained in a crackdown on refugees suspected militants in Waziristan tribal region were set free on Monday and allowed to return home, an official said. These Afghans were detained in the North Waziristan tribal area, which borders Afghanistan, on suspicion of fighting along side local radical religious elements in battles earlier this month against security forces, a local government official said.

Afghans had been ordered to return home or face punishment following the violence.

They had been cleared of the suspicion of being involved in the fighting, the official said.

They were driven by security forces in several pickup trucks to Ghulam Khan, a border crossing point with Afghanistan and released inside Afghan territory, he said.—AP