Iran-bound Taliban commander captured

HERAT CITY (PAN): Counter-terrorism police have captured a wanted insurgent commander near the Iranian border in western Herat province, an official said on Sunday.

The arrest came hard on the heels of a media report that a high-level Taliban delegation recently visited Tehran for talks with Iranian authorities.

Led by Tayeb Agha, the team included former minister Hamdullah Nomani and ex-governor of Maidan Wardak Shamsuddin Pahlawan.

Ahmad Faqir Mohammad, the Taliban leader, was detained while trying to enter the neighbouring country illegally, a spokesman for Herat police said.

Col. Abdul Rauf told Pajhwok Afghan News the detainee, who was loyal to Taliban leader Abdullah Akbari, led insurgent operations in Guzra and Pashtun Zarghoon districts.    

Rauf accused the militant commander of killing nine tribal elders in mid-2011 in Pashtun Zarghoon on charges of cooperating with the government.

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