[ADN Kronos] A close aide of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and former governor of Afghanistan's province Oruzgan, Abdul Hai Salik, has been arrested in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, Pakistan's Aaj News reported on Thursday. Salik and and one of his associates, Zaki Izzat Mohammad, was arrested in Karachi's Sohrab Goath area, according to the Aaj News report.Abdul Hai Salik is the alleged mastermind of of attacks against US and NATO forces and was also allegedly involved in attacks on Pakistani forces. Mohammad is one the richest men in Egypt and was involved in financing the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, Aaj News reported, quoting unnamed sources.
Karachi has in recently years become a hotbed for Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other militant groups. Mullah Omar himself may be sheltering in Karachi, according to British and US intelligence. Earlier this month, Pakistani security forces in Karachi detained the Taliban's alleged political and military strategist, Agha Jan, and five of his aides. Jan is said to be the seventh most wanted terrorist on a US list.
In mid-February, Pakistani and US agents seized the Afghan Taliban's number two, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in a Karachi madrassa or Islamic school.
Another senior Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Younis, was also recently arrested in Karachi, in the same operation that netted Baradar, according to a spokesman for the governor of surrounding Zabul provinces, Mohammed Jan Rasoulyar.