Pak Taliban spokesman arrested

Peshawar, Sep.11 (ANI) The Pakistan Government on Friday announced that it had arrested the chief spokesman of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Muslim Khan.

Khan was formerly a commander and spokesman of the Swat Taliban.

"Muslim Khan and Mahmood Khan with head money of 10 million rupees (120,482 US dollars) have been arrested by security forces in a successful operation in Swat,' military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said in a statement.

Muslim Khan was second on the most-wanted list behind Mullah Fazlullah. He earned notoriety as the hardline Taliban spokesman in Swat but was largely impossible to reach after the military launched its summer ground and air assault.

Mahmood Khan was number four on the most-wanted list, described as commander of Kuza Banda in northern Swat.

"Along with them, three other terrorist leaders Fazle Ghaffar, Abdul Rehman and Sartaj have been also been apprehended," the Dawn quoted Major General Abbas, as saying.

Pakistan says more than 1,900 militants and over 167 security personnel were killed in the offensive but the tolls are impossible to verify independently.

Answering a question on Muslim Khan's arrest, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said it should be seen as a national success. (ANI)