Coalition accidentally drops off weapons for Taliban

Afghanistan’s intelligence chief said today a coalition helicopter accidentally dropped food and weapons in a remote area of southern Afghanistan where Taliban fighters recovered the supplies.

Amrullah Saleh, the head of Afghanistan’s intelligence service, told members of parliament the supplies were intended for police at a checkpoint in the southern province of Zabul.

Mr Saleh did not said how many or what kind of weapons were dropped.

His disclosure comes after a member of parliament accused the coalition of supplying the Taliban with weapons.

It was not clear whose helicopter dropped the weapons. Nato’s International Security Assistance Force and the separate US-led coalition both said today it was not theirs.