US commandos hand over troubled area to Afghans

A senior US commander says American special operations forces have handed over their base in eastern Afghanistan's Nirkh district to local Afghan commandos meeting a demand by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that US forces withdraw from the district.

A senior US commander says American special operations forces have handed over their base in eastern Afghanistan's Nirkh district to local Afghan commandos meeting a demand by Afghan President Hamid Karzai that US forces withdraw from the district after allegations that their Afghan counterparts committed human rights abuses there.

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Maj. Gen. Tony Thomas, who is the top US special operations commander in Afghanistan, told the Associated Press on Saturday that Afghan special forces have taken the Americans' place and will work alongside local Afghan policemen to keep insurgents from using the area to attack the capital Kabul.

Thomas says US commandos will continue to operate throughout the rest of Wardak province.

Afghan security officials reached Saturday were not yet aware of the change.