Taliban Leader Mohammad Ashan Claims $100 Reward on his own Head

A Taliban commander has handed himself in to Afghan police to claim the $100 (£60) reward on his own head.

Mohammad Ashan, a mid-level Taliban commander in Paktika province, was wanted in connection with two roadside bomb attacks on US and Afghan troops. He gave himself up at a police checkpoint in Sar Howza after seeing his own Wanted poster promising the reward.

He gave the poster to a policeman and demanded his reward. Confused officers arrested him on the spot and his uidentity was later confirmed by US forces using a biometric scan.

Military specialist Matthew Baker told the Washington Post: "We asked him, 'Is this you?' Mohammad Ashan answered with an incredible amount of enthusiasm, 'Yes, yes, that's me! Can I get my award now?'"

"This guy is the Taliban equivalent of the 'Home Alone' burglars," a US official said. "Clearly," another official added, "the man is an imbecile."

Wanted posters for insurgents in Afghanistan have not yielded many positive results because with civilians have been afraid to pass on intelligence that might lead to an arrest.