An Afghan government team arrived in Herat on Monday to investigate the killing of the son of the province's powerful governor, and a senior US military officer called on the commander blamed for the death to surrender.
The commander, General Zahir Nayebzada was named recently by President Hamid Karzai to head the Herat division and fled after his forces killed Mirwais Sadiq, the Afghan aviation minister and son of the provincial governor, in a clash on March 21.
Nayebzada's departure amid heavy fighting between his forces and the militia of the governor, Ismail Khan, prompted the central Afghan government to send 1,500 troops to Herat.
Khan, meanwhile, has demanded that those responsible for his son's death be brought to justice.
Lieutenant-Colonel James Hand, head of the US military's Provincial Reconstruction Team in Herat, said he understood the government intended to recall Nayebzada - who is thought to be in his home province of Baghdis adjoining Herat.
"I would encourage General Zahir and the central government to facilitate his return to Kabul as soon as possible," he told Reuters.
Hand said he had met Khan as well as the commission sent by Kabul on Monday. He said failure to resolve the crisis would create mistrust for the Kabul government in Herat province. It could also confirm "the worst suspicions of those who are sceptical" of the Kabul government and embolden people like Osama bin Laden "who would like nothing better than to see the sons of Afghanistan battling each other".
He said the crisis in Herat had tied up national army troops who could be helping hunt al Qaeda and Taleban leaders.
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