Off the wire
Cambodia urges travelers by sea to be extra-vigilant over rainfall, storms next week  • Central bank pumps more money into market  • China approves seven new IPOs  • Somali security forces arrest 5 Al-Shabaab militants  • Boeing to sell 100 passenger planes to Iran: TV  • Brother, uncle of former Pakistani Taliban's chief among 6 surrendering to gov't  • Bangladesh signs 130 mln USD World Bank loan for economic zones  • Top news items of Ethiopia's major media outlets  • Top news items of leading Kenyan media outlets  • Spotlight: Japan's Okinawa residents hold mass rally to protest U.S. military crimes, demand bases be removed from island  
You are here:   Home

Taliban key commander in Afghan northern Baghlan province detained

Xinhua, June 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

The key commander of Taliban militants in the northern Baghlan province with Pul-e-Khumri as its capital was captured on Sunday, provincial governor Abdul Satar Bariz said.

"The military chief of Taliban in Baghlan province, Qari Zahir , was on way to Kabul when police during routine checking of vehicles identified and arrested him," Bariz told reporters here.

Qari Zahir had led Taliban fighters in Dand-e-Ghori, Dand-e-Shahabudin, Chashma-e-Shir and Sarkh Kotal areas over the past several months and his capture is a major blow to the militants in Baghlan province, the official asserted.

Meantime, the Interior Ministry in a statement released here stated that Qari Zahir was injured in recent clash for the control of Chashma-e-Shir outside provincial capital Pul-e-Khumri and apparently was shifting to Kabul for medical treatment when police arrested him.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the report. Endit