Baitullah Mehsud's close aide arrested

Karachi, Jan 22 : The Karachi Police have arrested a close associate of militant commander Baitullah Mehsud, Younas.

Police have shifted Younas to an unknown place for interrogation, Daily Times quoted sources, as saying.

Weapons and explosive material were also recovered from Younas.

Younas is a 'right-hand' man of Baitullah Mehsud and brother of his spokesperson, Wahab Mehsud.

Baitullah Mehsud is head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a newly formed coalition of Islamic militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and believed to be linked to al Qaeda.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Michael Hayden is of the view that Baitullah Mehsud was responsible for the December 27, 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

In an interview to the Washington Post, Hayden had said that Benazir was killed by fighters allied with Baitullah Mehsud with support from al-Qaeda's terrorist network.

ANI