Pakistan Orders 60,000 Afghans To Leave Border Tribal Zone

KHAR, Pakistan (AFP)–Pakistan has ordered around 60,000 Afghan refugees to leave a troubled border tribal area where security forces are battling al-Qaida and Taliban militants, officials said Tuesday.

The deportation order for the displaced Afghans in the lawless northwestern region of Bajaur came after a deadline set for them to go back to their homeland expired Sunday, security officials said.

Iran forced down Western plane

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian news reports claimed Tuesday that Iran forced down a Western aircraft that accidentally entered its airspace, then allowed the plane to continue to Afghanistan after questioning its passengers. The state-owned Al-Alam, Iran’s official Arabic-language television station, quoted an unidentified senior Iranian military official as saying the plane belonged either to a British or Hungarian relief agency. It said Iran forced the aircraft to land on Sunday and then permitted the passengers and crew to leave the following day.

The U.S. military in Iraq issued a statement noting “media reports that a small, civilian passenger jet was forced to land in Iran. This was not a U.S. aircraft and there were no Americans reported on board. All U.S. aircraft are accounted for and none are missing.”