Washington, Aug 14 : A noted US-based terrorism analyst has claimed that Al Qaeda was exploiting the recent political turmoil in Pakistan to strengthen its foothold along the country’s border with Afghanistan.

He said that al Qaeda had strengthened its safe haven in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) by deepening its alliances with Pakistani militants and pushing many elements of Pakistani government authority from the area. “It now has many of the operational and organisational advantages it once enjoyed across the border in Afghanistan, albeit on a smaller and less secure scale,” the Dawn quoted Ted Gistaro, the US national intelligence officer for trans-national threats, as saying in a speech at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Kabul - Three aid workers with the International Committee for the Red Cross and their Afghan driver were shot to death Wednesday in central Afghanistan, police said.

The aid workers, all women, were killed in the Qalah Rahmat area of Puli Alam, the capital of Logar province, Abdul Majeed Latifi, provincial security chief, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"The workers are citizens of Ireland, Canada and the United States," said Latifi, who moved the aid workers' bodies to the provincial hospital.

Manila - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday it was providing a 55-million-dollar loan to Afghanistan's leading mobile phone provider to expand its coverage to parts of the country with little or no telecommunications infrastructure in place.

The Manila-based ADB said the loan to Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Ltd (Roshan) would also support the roll-out of a mobile banking system that allows subscribers to transfer money through their mobile phones without having to open bank accounts.

Kabul , Aug. 11 : Australian Special Forces have captured a senior Taliban commander who was behind a wave of deadly roadside bombings.

Mullah Bari Ghul was captured in an operation last week, reports The Australian.

Bari Ghul was known as the shadow governor of Oruzgan province, a reference used by the Taliban to describe his status as the head of its underground operations in the southern province of Afghanistan.

Australian defence sources said that no Australian soldiers or Afghan civilians were hurt in the operation.

London, Aug. 11 : Senior British commanders have placed a demand for thousands of more troops in Afghanistan to prevent the Taliban from winning back control of the country.

They are recommending a rapid reduction in the 4,000 troops in Iraq so that more can go to Afghanistan.

American and British commanders in Afghanistan want an Iraq-style surge “within months” to fend off a Taliban victory before next year’s presidential election there.

Kabul - A Canadian soldier was killed by Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, while 10 insurgents were killed or wounded and up to two dozen more captured elsewhere in the country, officials said Sunday.

Master Corporal Joshua Brian Roberts died of wounds sustained in combat in Zherai district of southern Kandahar province on Saturday, the Canadian defence ministry said in a statement.

More than 2,500 Canadian soldiers are stationed in Kandahar province, purported to be the main headquarters of Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The Canadian soldiers are part of more than 50,000 NATO-led troops from 40 countries.