Talibs Reject Claims

A high profile Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, has rejected an American report claiming that a top Taliban commander has been arrested in Pakistan. “Mujahid told Reuters that Mullah Baradar is still in Afghanistan and actively organizing military and political activities of the terrorist network. ‘He has not been captured. They want to spread this rumor just to divert the attention of people from their defeats in Marjah and confuse the public.’ Zabihullah was referring to Operation Moshtarak in which thousands of US-led troops are working to capture Taliban strongholds in areas around Marjah and Nad Ali. Earlier US officials said the military commander had been captured in a secret US-Pakistani raid in Karachi. They said Baradar was the most significant militant figure detained since the US led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. According to US media reports, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was arrested in a secret operation several days ago, but the release of information of Baradar’s arrest was delayed at the request of the White House for fear it would prevent other Taliban officers from cutting off communication with their leader.”