(reopens FGN 5)

The Afghan government is yet to officially confirm Mohammad's arrest though officials of the Afghan interior ministry and members of the National Directorate of Security informed journalists in Kabul and Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar, that they had arrested him on Monday. The News quoted Afghan Taliban sources as saying that the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban were not sure about the arrest but "were happy about the development". "He was irrelevant for some time and was no more enjoying his previous status, especially after he told the media that he was holding peace talks with the Pakistan government. The Taliban had not even allowed him to participate in the war against Pakistani forces in Batwar area of Bajaur last year," a senior Pakistani Taliban commander based in Kunar said. Mohammad had developed serious differences with the Pakistani Taliban leadership and they replaced him with commander Dadullah, who died in a US drone attack in August 2012 in Kunar province. The Taliban later appointed Said Muhammad as the commander of Bajaur agency.