Pakistan makes another arrest in Swat Valley

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan killed 10 insurgents and arrested a militant commander accused of beheading troops in the northwestern Swat Valley, notching up more successes in an offensive that has been welcomed at home and in the U.S., an army spokesman said Thursday.

Sher Muhammad Qasab was captured this week at an undisclosed location in the valley, said Col. Akhtar Abbas.

Pakistan’s army launched an offensive in April after militants seized control of much of the valley in the country’s volatile northwest. It has cleared much of Swat and killed more than 1,800 insurgents, although sporadic militant attacks continue.

Abbas said Qasab — who had a bounty of 10 million rupees ($121,000) on his head — had beheaded many troops in Swat when the Taliban was in control.

The 10 militants were killed by security forces Thursday as they tried to sneak into the region’s main city of Mingora, Abbas said.

The army announced Friday the capture of five other Swat Taliban commanders, including spokesman Muslim Khan and commander Mahmood Khan. The arrests were the first time the army had captured any senior commanders in the offensive.

The Swat offensive has been praised by the United States, which wants to see Pakistan fighting militants hiding out in its rugged northwest who are blamed for plotting and carrying out attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan.