Islamabad, Pakistan — A Pakistani intelligence official has confirmed to Fox News that the Afghan Taliban’s top military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured last week in a joint CIA – ISI operation in Pakistan. The ISI is Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency.
Baradar was the number two behind the spiritual leader and founder of the Taliban Mullah Omar. The intelligence official said he was captured in the secrete raid in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi. He said the CIA and ISI initially interrogated him together, but now it’s mainly the CIA ‘running the show’ with the ISI observing.
Analyst and officials agree that Baradar is a big get, but Pakistan-based Taliban expert Saleem Shehzad does not think his capture will be a major disruption for the Taliban’s military operations.
“I don’t think the arrest of Mullah Baradar will have any affect on the operations of the Taliban as they don’t base their strategies on individuals. He will be replaced within no time.”
Shehzad went on to say that there might be Taliban retaliation against the Pakistan army for the arrest.
The Pakistani government has not made specific comment on the Baradar arrest. The military and government here have been adamant that there have never been any Afghan Taliban top leaders on their soil after 2001.