British pair held over claims of plot to kill troops

The pair were held at a hotel in the western city of Herat in a dramatic joint raid with Afghan intelligence service the National Directorate of Security (NDS) last week.

The suspects, who are British passport-holders with dual nationality, are now being held by UK forces in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. An unnamed senior Afghan official reporters: “It was terrorism-related. It was a UK-led operation.”

A Foreign Office spokeswoman added: “We can confirm that two British nationals have been detained in Afghanistan. Embassy staff are providing assistance.”

Nato forces in Afghanistan normally hold suspects for a maximum of four days before releasing them or handing them over to the Afghan authorities, but this can be extended in certain cases.

News of the arrests came after the UK handed responsibility for security in Helmand’s capital, Lashkar Gah, to Afghan forces in a step towards the planned pull-out of British combat troops by the end of 2014.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We can confirm that two British passport holders were detained in an Isaf operation conducted jointly last week by UK forces with Afghans in support. The individuals, a male and a female, are currently being held in a secure facility in Kandahar for questioning.

“Detention operations are a vital element of protecting UK, Isaf and Afghan forces and Afghan civilians from those who are assessed to pose a threat regardless of their nationality.

“All detention operations in Afghanistan carried out under the remit of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), which includes those conducted by British forces, are conducted in accordance with international law and strict policy frameworks.”

Legal charity Reprieve, which campaigns for prisoners’ rights, has written to the Foreign Office warning that the suspects could face torture or the death penalty to Afghan custody.