3 November 2005

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani forces have captured an al-Qaeda suspect linked to the Madrid train bombings last year.

The arrested man is thought to be Mustafa Setnarian Nasar, a Syrian national with dual Spanish citizenship who is alleged to have played a role in the attacks which killed 191 people in March last year.

Security forces killed another suspect during the arrests, the Pakistani information minister said.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the men were Arabs, but their nationality was unknown.

The incident came during a shoot-out earlier this week in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

The US government has offered a USD 5 million reward for information leading to the capture of Mustafa Setnarian Nasar, who is also known as Abu Musab al-Suri.

There have been several high-profile arrests of suspected al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan.

In May, Pakistani security officials captured Abu Faraj al-Libbi, described by some experts as "al-Qaeda's number three". He has since been handed over to the US

It is thought al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden might be hiding in the same tribal area but he has not been traced in three years of military operations by Pakistan.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news