Elite Afghan commando 'arrested in police hotel raid' after being evacuated from Kabul

10 September 2021, 17:01 | Updated: 10 September 2021, 17:11

Police have arrested an Afghan Army commando in a pre-dawn raid after he was evacuated from Kabul, according to reports.

The special forces soldier was detained in a police operation at a hotel in Manchester, where he was staying with family for quarantine.

Greater Manchester Police directed enquiries about the arrest to the Home Office, which declined to comment.

Sky News said the commando is thought to still be in detention but it is not clear why he was arrested or if he has been charged.

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The Afghan commandos were considered one of the best fighters in the war against the Taliban, with units fighting until they ran out of supplies while much of the rest of the army seemed to melt away.

There have been reports that the commandos who left Afghanistan when the Taliban took over could from a new unit within the British Army.

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Their careers could have earmarked them for reprisals from the Taliban. CNN reported in July that commandos were executed by militants after being forced to stop fighting when they ran out of ammunition.

The soldier in Manchester was one of roughly 15,000 people the UK flew out of Kabul in the desperate scramble at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Part of the processing procedure for Afghan refugees included security checks, it is understood.