"Shakirullah [detainee] is a resident of Kunar province [northeastern Afghanistan] and we have arrested him yesterday in Parun, the capital of Nuristan," Aryan said.
The chief added that no explosive items had been found, however, the suspect might have hidden them. "The detainee has links to the Taliban, who may have come here for terrorist attacks," Aryan added.
Shakirullah, in turn, said that he did not plan to carry out an attack in Nuristan. "I am not a terrorist and I am a carpenter," the suspect said. According to the police chief, the investigation is underway.
Earlier in the day, the Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi announced in a TV interview that the government was halting peace talks with the Taliban until the presidential election takes place on 28 September.
