Officers held over murder plot

A PLOT by three policemen to kill the Afghan interior minister has been foiled.

The policemen and five Taleban were detained last week ahead of a visit to a police academy in the eastern province of Paktia by Bismillah Mohammadi.

"The enemies managed to infiltrate the police in Paktia and planned to assassinate the minister," spokesman for the counter-espionage National Directorate of Security, Lutfullah Mashal, said. "Suicide vests, explosives and weapons were prepared for the mission."

Afghanistan has seen a spate of shootings involving "rogue" officers as it prepares to take over security from foreign forces by 2014.