Asia-Pacific
Pakistan confirms arrest of Taliban No. 2
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-17 19:26
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ISLAMABAD - Pakistan army confirmed Wednesday the arrest of the Afghan Taliban's No. 2 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
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 A billboard image of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, whose second-in-command has reportedly been captured by US and Pakistani spies. The Taliban have denied the report, saying Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was still leading the fight in Afghanistan.[Photo/Agencies] |
In a statement issued to media, the Inter Services Public Relation of Pakistan army said that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has been arrested from south Pakistani port city of Karachi.
Further details can not be released due to security reasons, it said.
Pakistani analysts believe the arrest of top Taliban commander will be a huge shift in the policy towards Taliban and U.S. officials say it is a breakthrough in the cooperation between Pakistan and the United States on the fight against terrorism.
The New York Times reported Monday that Taliban's top military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had been captured in Karachi in a secret Pakistani-U.S. raid.
The newspaper said that Baradar had been held in Pakistan for several days and was being interrogated by Pakistani and U.S. intelligence agencies.
Pakistani Interior Ministry officials told Xinhua on Tuesday that they had no information about the capture of Baradar who is described as ranking second in influence only to the Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar.
Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban denied the report, saying that Baradar is safe and leading the militants' fight in Afghanistan.
The report came as U.S.-led allied force and Afghan troops pressed on with the biggest joint offensive against Taliban stronghold in Marjah district in southern Afghan province of Helmand.
