Afghan 'bomb' baby finds new home after troop rescue

GHAZNI, Afghanistan (AFP) - A newborn baby girl dumped on the side of a road in Afghanistan and rescued by Polish troops - who initially thought the little bundle was a bomb - has begun a new life as a treasured member of a childless family.

The baby, named Pola by the Polish troops when she was found during a patrol on Sept 19, was first taken to the soldiers' base in Ghazni province south of Kabul and then transferred to the local hospital.

"The soldiers noticed a small thing wrapped in a towel on the side of the road. At first they thought it was an IED (improvised explosive device), but when they got closer they found out it was a baby," hospital director Baz Mohammad Rahmat told AFP.

"They picked up the baby and took her to their base and called us. We told them to bring her to the hospital. The baby was two days old and was in good health."