Taliban charge two Arabs with spying on Bin Laden for U.S.

NICOSIA [MENL] -- Two Arabs have been arrested on suspicion of spying for the United States in an effort to determine the whereabouts of Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden.

The arrests were carried out by the Afghan ruling Taliban militia and comes as the United States has recruited Pakistan in an effort to capture Bin Laden. Taliban is besieged by United Nations sanctions as well as an insurgency by opposition forces backed by Iran and Russia.

The London-based Al Hayat said on Wednesday that the Arabs arrested by Taliban comprised a Jordanian national and a Syrian national. The newspaper said the suspects were being investigated but did not provide any more details.

Taliban has executed 26 people in the northern Afghan city of Gusfandi. Opposition sources said Taliban warplanes also bombed the surrounding region in a drive to gain control of the area.

The sources said many people were killed in the air raid.