The arrest on Monday of Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, a regional commander of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was hailed as a "big blow" to the movement by an Afghan interior ministry official.

Mohammad was captured during a raid in Nangarhar province by members of the Afghan intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), and Afghan police officers, according to officials from NDS and the Afghan interior ministry.

He was responsible for several attacks against Pakistani forces and was known for his strict implementation of Islamic law in Bajaur.