Cartoons ‘recruiting bombers’

ONE hundred militants have enlisted to become suicide bombers in Afghanistan since the appearance of “blasphemous” cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, a top Taliban commander has said.

Mullah Dadullah, one of the Taliban’s most senior military commanders, said Thursday that his Islamic extremist group had also offered a reward of 100 kilograms of gold to anyone who killed people responsible for the drawings.

At current prices 100 kilograms of gold is worth about €1.6 million.

“More than 100 mujahedin (holy warriors) have enlisted to carry out suicide attacks,” the fugitive Dadullah said, speaking by telephone from an unknown location.

The targets would be “infidels”, said the commander, who is believed to have close ties to the Taliban’s wanted leader Mullah Omar.