A senior commander of the Taliban-allied Haqqani network in Afghanistan, Haji Mali Khan, uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani has been captured, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said on Saturday.
“Security forces detained Haji Mali Khan, uncle of Sirajuddin and Badruddin Haqqani and the senior Haqqani commander in Afghanistan,” the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement. Khan was captured close to Afghanistan’s porous border with Pakistan in Paktiya province on Tuesday, it added, hailing the detention as “a significant milestone” in disrupting Haqqani operations. “He reportedly worked directly under Siraj Haqqani, and managed bases and had oversight of operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan,” ISAF said. However, the Taliban through spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid denied Khan had been captured, claiming he just spoke to him. Members of the Haqqani network declined to comment on the ISAF statement, but confirmed to Reuters that Khan is Sirajuddin Haqqani’s maternal uncle. They said he was not a senior commander but his relatives are involved in the Haqqanis’ fight against NATO forces in Afghanistan.
