Pak officials yet to confirm Al-Qaeda's US-born spokesman's arrest

Islamabad, Mar.9 (ANI): Pakistani authorities are yet to confirm reports regarding the arrest of US-born Al-Qaeda spokesperson, Adam Yahiye Gadahn, who was apparently nabbed in Karachi a few days ago.

Gadahn, who is 14th on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists for lending support to Al-Qaeda, was said to have been arrested by Pakistani officials during a raid on a house in Karachi a couple of days ago.

"Yes two foreigners had been arrested from Karachi two days ago but we are unable to confirm the validity of the reports involving the arrest of Adam Yahiye Gadahn," The Daily Times quoted government officials, as saying.

US and Pakistani diplomatic sources in Washington have said that Gadahn, also known as 'Azzam the American' who has long been on the US 'Most Wanted List', was detained in Karachi's Sohrab Goth, a major Pashtun area of the city.

The officials also described his capture as 'a major victory' in the war against Al-Qaeda.

The reported capture of Gadahn comes the same day as the Al-Qaeda website, As Sahab, released a video of him praising Major Nidal Hasan, the US army officer who murdered 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009.

In Sunday's message, Gadahn called on Muslims serving in the US armed forces to emulate the actions of Hasan, and urged them to play their "due role" in "repelling the aggression of the enemies of Islam" in Afghanistan.

Since 2004, he appeared in a number of videos produced by Al-Qaeda, and is believed to have inspired bin Laden"s September 2007 video.

He was also indicted based on the testimony of the FBI case agent E.J. Hilbert for the capital crime of treason for aiding an enemy of the United States.

Gadahn is the first American charged with treason since Tomoya Kawakita in 1952. (ANI)