Two key al Qaeda militants arrested in Pakistan

Two important aides of al Qaeda and the Taliban were arrested from different places in Pakistan, sources said.

Peshawar, Aug 2 : Two important aides of al Qaeda and the Taliban were arrested from different places in Pakistan, sources said.

Muhammad Rahim was picked up from Lahore, while Sheikh Ilyas Khel was arrested at a bus-stand in Peshawar.

Sources said Rahim was Osama bin Laden's special aide, and hailed from Afghanistan's Nangarhar province, while Khel worked for Laden as translator and guide during his stay in Afghanistan.

Rahim was the head of the al Qaeda team that was engaged in negotiations with the Afghanistan Government-nominated commanders including Hazrat Ali in early 2002.

Ilyas Khel was an active commander of the late Maulvi Younas Khalis of the Hizb-e-Islami Afghanistan, The Nation reported.

After the collapse of Taliban regime, Ilyas joined Hazrat Ali and was posted on an important route, connecting Tora Bora with Jalalabad, through which most of the al-Qaeda militants escaped from Tora Bora.

Qari Bahadar, son of Ilyas Khel, was recently killed when the US-led allied troops attacked the hideouts of the al-Qaeda and Taliban fugitives in Tora Bora.

Leading political figures in Afghanistan confirmed to the media reports that both Rahim and Ilyas were in US custody.

However, it couldn't be ascertained whether or not Pakistan has extradited them to Bagram or to Guantanamo prison.

Meanwhile, the US-led forces have decided to establish a permanent military camp at Tora Bora to eliminate al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.

ANI