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Top Taliban Commander Is Captured In Pakistan
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In August, Dadullah was reported killed in a U.S.-led airstrike in southern Afghanistan. But military officials later acknowledged that he had probably survived the bombing.
Believed to be in his 30s, Dadullah was a little-known figure among rank-and-file Taliban fighters until last year, when he and four other Taliban commanders were released from an Afghan prison in exchange for the freedom of Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who along with an Afghan journalist and their driver had been abducted by insurgents in March.
"Dadullah's arrest is a severe blow to the Taliban insurgents quite apart from the speculations of his expulsion from the Taliban movement. He has a good following in the insurgency-hit areas, and that makes him an important figure," said Fazal Rahim Marwat, a professor at Peshawar University and the author of two books on the Taliban.
Abbas said all six men captured Monday were injured in the fight, but none critically. He said Dadullah's arrest could lead to the capture of other key Taliban leaders who may also be working in the region.
"We are hopeful that after [Dadullah's] interrogation, we can find out more about the operations and capture more" Taliban fighters, Abbas said.
Dadullah's capture comes in the wake of a succession of visits from top U.S. officials to the region, including Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Saturday. The United States has sharply increased pressure on the government of President Pervez Musharraf to wage a more effective fight against extremists since the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December.
Special correspondent Imtiaz Ali in Peshawar contributed to this report.
