Unofficial report places al-Libbi in Mardan , about 30 miles north of Peshawar , at the time of his capture. Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced Wednesday the capture of Abu Faraj al-Libbi, and five other suspected al-Qaeda militants, after a gun battle in Waziristan on Monday. Abu Faraj al-Libbi was wanted in connection with two attempts to assassinate Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf , one on December 25, 2004. Security officials said the Libyan born al-Libbi was thought to be a top general for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and acted as an operational commander in Pakistan. Ahmed told AP, “This arrest gives us a lot of tips, and I can only say that our security agencies are on the right track.” Ahmed, who called the capture "a very important day for us", said they are receiving more and more tips and are on the right track towards the eventual capture of bin Laden. Pakistan has put more pressure on its northwest region with a months-long build-up there. The region is believed by many to be where al-Qaeda members are holding out after they were pushed from Afghanistan . U.S. President George Bush said of the capture: "I applaud the Pakistani government for its strong coöperation in the war on terror." Musharraf has been a key ally in the US-led war on terrorism, and because of that also an Islamic militant target. A BBC security correspondent said this is the biggest arrest since that of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , the alleged mastermind of the 2003 9/11 attack. The United States is not the only country which lays claim to al-Libbi. He is wanted by Libya , where he has been sentenced to death (and whence he escaped in the 1980s), for assassination attempts on Colonel Qaddafi . He is also wanted by Afghanistan.
Unofficial report places al-Libbi in , about 30 miles north of , at the time of his capture. Information Minister announced Wednesday the capture of Abu Faraj al-Libbi, and five other suspected militants, after a gun battle in on Monday. Abu Faraj al-Libbi was wanted in connection with two attempts to assassinate Pakistan's President, , one on December 25, 2004. Security officials said the born al-Libbi was thought to be a top general for al-Qaeda leader and acted as an operational commander in Pakistan. Ahmed told AP, “This arrest gives us a lot of tips, and I can only say that our security agencies are on the right track.” Ahmed, who called the capture "a very important day for us", said they are receiving more and more tips and are on the right track towards the eventual capture of bin Laden. Pakistan has put more pressure on its northwest region with a months-long build-up there. The region is believed by many to be where al-Qaeda members are holding out after they were pushed from . said of the capture: "I applaud the Pakistani government for its strong coöperation in the war on terror." Musharraf has been a key ally in the US-led war on terrorism, and because of that also an militant target. A BBC security correspondent said this is the biggest arrest since that of , the alleged mastermind of the 2003 attack. The United States is not the only country which lays claim to al-Libbi. He is wanted by , where he has been sentenced to death (and whence he escaped in the 1980s), for assassination attempts on . He is also wanted by Afghanistan.
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Mardan
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Peshawar
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Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed
Information Minister
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al-Qaeda
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Waziristan
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Pervez Musharraf
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Libyan
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Osama bin Laden
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Afghanistan
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U.S. President George Bush
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Islamic
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Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
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9/11
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Libya
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Colonel Qaddafi