The Pakistani military confirmed on Wednesday that the Afghan Taliban's top military commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, had been captured.

U.S. and Pakistani officials who declined to be identified said on Tuesday Baradar had been captured in the Pakistani city of Karachi in a secret raid by CIA agents.

"At the conclusion of detailed identification procedure, it has been confirmed that one of the persons arrested happens to be Mullah Baradar," the military said.

It declined to say where he had been caught or to give other details, citing security reasons.

CIA in Taliban questioning

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik had on Tuesday declined to confirm Baradar's capture, saying a large number of people had fled operations by NATO forces in Afghanistan to Pakistan and many had been picked up.

He denied that there had been "any joint raid by Pakistani and CIA agents."

A Pakistani intelligence official said security agents had been searching for Baradar in the southwestern city of Quetta, where the United States says a Taliban leadership council is based.

"Sensing that he might be arrested, he somehow slipped out of Quetta and into Karachi, maybe in disguise. That's where we arrested him, about four days back," said the official, who declined to be identified.

"He is with us and is being interrogated."

Asked if the United States was involved in the questioning, he said: "Yes of course. We have that sort of cooperation with them."


Reuters

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