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Pakistan arrests top Taliban commander

  • Story Highlights
  • Abu Faraj was arrested during a military operation in the Swat region
  • Said to be one of the key commanders for Taliban in Pakistan
  • Fazlullah trying to impose harsh interpretation of Islamic law in northwest Pakistan
From Reza Sayah
CNN
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has arrested a key militant commander suspected of launching suicide attacks in the country's northwest, Pakistan's army announced Monday.

Abu Faraj was arrested during a military operation in the Swat region, but the army statement did not say when. Abu Faraj is believed to be one of the key commanders for Maulana Fazlullah, the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Swat, who is still at large.

Fazlullah has stated that his goal is to impose a harsh interpretation of Islamic law in northwest Pakistan.

Fazlullah's father-in-law, pro-Taliban leader Sufi Mohammed, helped mediate a peace agreement with the Pakistani government earlier this year.

That deal collapsed, and paved the way for Pakistan's current military operation against Taliban elements in the northwest. Shortly after his father-in-law's peace deal took effect, Fazlullah proclaimed himself the emir of Swat.

Swat is a region in Pakistan's northwest that continues to experience near-daily attacks by Islamic militants on civilians and on security forces conducting the military operation against them.

CNN's Reza Sayah contributed to this report.

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