Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Israel will free hundreds of prisoners as a goodwill gesture before an upcoming Muslim holiday.

Abas said at a conference in the northern West Bank town of Nablus on Saturday that Israel will release 250 prisoners before Eid al-Adha, an important Muslim holiday.

The holiday is expected to take place on Dec. 8. Muslims follow a lunar calendar, and the expected date of religious holidays can vary slightly.

Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced last week he'd release the prisoners.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli Prime Minister says Olmert is expected to set a release date after he meets with Abbas again.

The issue of thousands of prisoners are in Israeli jails is extremely sensitive for Palestinians. (the Jakarta Post)
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NATO-led troops killed a senior Taliban commander in southern Afghanistan, the military alliance said in a statement Sunday.

Mullah Assad was a senior Taliban operational commander for southern Helmand province, and was killed in an operation on Wednesday, NATO said. It did not say where Assad was killed.

Assad was linked to attacks in Helmand's Garmser district, an area of southern Afghanistan rife with insurgent activity, the statement said.

U.S. and NATO-led troops have said they will continue with their operations against the Taliban and other insurgents throughout the cold winter months.

More than 5,200 people, mostly militants, have been killed this year in insurgency-related violence according to a tally of figures compiled by the Associated Press.(the Jakarta Post)

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