| Taliban arrest British reporter |
Taliban officials say a Sunday Express reporter has been arrested trying to enter Afghanistan illegally.
The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press says the journalist has been identified as Yvonne Ridley.
She was apparently dressed in Afghan clothes and her head was swathed in a scarf.
The AIP quoted a Taliban spokesman as saying that Ridley and two Afghan guides were arrested near Jalalabad.
A spokeswoman for the Express Newspapers has confirmed the arrest.
Sunday Express editor Martin Townsend says: "We are seeking an urgent clarification of the exact position and are co-operating fully with the Foreign Office in securing the quick and safe release of our journalist."
The agency quotes Taliban authorities as saying the woman was not carrying a passport nor any other travel documents. A spokesman for the British High Commission in Islamabad, the Pakistan capital, says he has no information on the report.
She has been writing stories for both the Sunday Express and Daily Express newspapers from the Pakistani cities of Peshawar and Islamabad. Ms Ridley, from Stanley, Co Durham, is a former assistant editor of the Sunday Sun based in Newcastle.
A spokesperson for The Sunday Express said later: "We are working closely with the Foreign Office to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the arrest of Yvonne Ridley. Yvonne is The Sunday Express's chief reporter and is a highly experienced journalist who has worked in many countries around the world.
"She volunteered for this assignment and filed an outstanding and exclusive despatch for The Sunday Express last week. Everyone at Northern and Shell and Express Newspapers is deeply concerned and anxious for her speedy and safe return."
Story filed: 15:17 Friday 28th September 2001
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