Ex-Guantanamo prisoner 'now a Taleban leader'

A FORMER Guantanamo detainee has become the Taleban's operations officer in southern Afghanistan where he is launching attacks against British and American troops, it was reported last night.

Adbullah Ghulam Rasoul was handed over to the Afghan government in December 2007, which in turn released him. Intelligence officials said he is now known as Mullah Abdullah Zakir and is working as a senior commander.

British officials said they believed Rasoul was behind a rise in road-side bombings against British troops since spring 2008 when he was released from prison in Kabul.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said she could not comment on "intelligence matters".