Taliban commander, accomplice arrested in NW Pakistan

Pakistani security forces arrested a Taliban commander and his accomplice in northwest of the country on Wednesday, police sources said.Commander Hazrat Bilal, a commander of Taliban in Swat valley was captured in Mardan, a city 60 kilometers from Peshawar, capital of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa provincein a raid on a house, they said. The commander escaped a major military offensive in Swat valley in 2009, where hundreds of people were killed and injured while over two million displaced as the result of clashes between the army and Taliban militants. Official sources said that the security forces on a tip off from the residents raided a house in Mardan and arrested Hazrat Bilal and another militant. They had rented the house and were hiding there for some time, police said. Several top Taliban commanders and their leader Maulana Fazaullah had escaped after the military operation and Pakistan army says that Fazalullah is now operating from Afghan border regions. Reports said that the forces had arrested several thousands militants and their local facilitators during the operation “Rah-e-Rast” (right path) that was launched in Swat after militants took control of main cities and roads in the region. Officials say that intelligence officials were still chasing the wanted militants and that a number of militants have been arrested with the support of the locals. The police have also made public photos of the wanted militants in posters displayed in crowded places. People have also been asked to inform the police if they get information about the wanted militants. According to the official, more than 1300 intelligence based search operations have been conducted in Swat so far, local media said. The security forces had also expelled families of several known militants from Swat valley after they failed to surrender to the authorities.