Top Taliban Commander Baradar Captured
In a joint operation by Pakistani and US intelligence forces, a top commander of Taliban has been captured, reported Associated Press quoting New York Times.
Quoting an unnamed US official, NYT reported that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had been in Pakistan’s custody for several days, said report.
Pakistan’s Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence and CIA operatives captured Baradar in a joint operation, report said, adding that though Pakistan had been leading Baradar’s interrogation, Americans were also involved in the process.
Baradar heads the Taliban’s military council and was elevated in the body after the 2006 death of military chief Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Usmani.
The Times described Baradar as the No. 2 behind Taliban founder and Osama bin Laden associate Mullah Muhammad Omar.
If confirmed, arrest of Baradar, who is known to coordinate the Taliban’s military operations throughout the south and southwest of Afghanistan, will be a major jolt to Taliban fighters.
He may also have information on the whereabouts of Omar and bin Laden, said report.
