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US, Pakistani Officials: Top Taliban Commander Captured in Pakistan

   U.S.  and  Pakistani  officials say the top Taliban military commander
   has been captured and is in custody.

     16 February 2010
   Map of Pakistan

   U.S.  and Pakistani officials say intelligence forces captured the top
   Taliban  military  commander  several  days  ago  in  a  secret  joint
   operation in Karachi.
   Officials  say  the  commander,  Mullah  Abdul  Ghani  Baradar,  is in
   Pakistani custody.
   Baradar,  who  is of Afghan descent, is described as ranking second in
   influence only to Mullah Muhammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban.
   Officials  say Baradar is the most significant Taliban figure detained
   since the war in Afghanistan started in late 2001.
   The  Taliban in Afghanistan deny Baradar has been captured, dismissing
   the report as a rumor and a diversion.
   Pakistan  and  American  intelligence  agents  are both taking part in
   interrogating  Baradar,  who  is  believed to be in charge of both the
   Taliban's military operations and the group's leadership council.
   Officials  say  the  joint operation to capture Baradar suggests a new
   level  of  cooperation  between  Pakistani  and  American intelligence
   agencies.

   The  New York Times first published a report on Baradar's capture late
   Monday.
   The  Times  says  it  learned  of the operation last week, but delayed
   reporting  it at the request of White House officials, who argued that
   making it public would compromise the effort to gather intelligence.
   Hours before the report came out, Pakistani officials said a suspected
   U.S.   drone   strike  had  killed  at  least  three  militants  in  a
   northwestern  tribal region.  A similar attack in the same area killed
   seven militants a day earlier.
   Pakistani  authorities  said a missile fired from an unmanned aircraft
   Monday  struck  a  vehicle  traveling  through  Tapi  village in North
   Waziristan.   The semi-autonomous tribal region is used as a sanctuary
   by  the  Taliban  and  al-Qaida  as well as militants from the Haqqani
   group,   which  has  been  blamed  for  cross-border  attacks  against
   international and Afghan troops.

   Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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