IS Regional Leader 'Arrested in Afghanistan'
Zia
ul-Haq, also known as Sheikh Omar Khorasani, was held with two other senior
leaders of the militant group.
The
Taliban are the main militant group in Afghanistan but IS has been active in
some areas and has carried out several bomb attacks in Kabul.
Correspondents
say the arrest will be a major breakthrough if confirmed.
The
other two were named as his spokesman Saheeb and chief of intelligence Abu Ali.
The operation was
conducted after a tip-off by four recently arrested senior IS members, and
based on security and intelligence inputs, a statement by the service said.
The
agency "will continue its comprehensive and targeted operations to hunt
down senior leaders of regional terrorist groups and destroy the joint hubs of
these terrorist networks", the statement said, quoted by Reuters.
IS
has carried out several deadly bombings in recent years, targeting
Afghanistan's Shia and other minorities and killing scores of people.
A
report submitted to the UN last year said Sheikh Omar Khorasani had been
replaced by the central leadership of the group because of his poor performance,
but this has never been confirmed.
The
arrests come as violence continues throughout the country despite the signing
of a troop withdrawal agreement between the US and the Taliban in February.
The
Taliban, which says it is opposed to IS, has desisted from large-scale attacks
since the agreement.
FROM .bbc.com/news/world-asia
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