500 Taliban rebels held this year: Pakistan

The suspected militants were arrested in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Balochistan province.

Pakistan has arrested more than 500 suspected Taliban militants on its soil this year and handed over most of them to Afghan authorities, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

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The suspected militants were arrested in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Balochistan province, and other cities, the ministry said in a statement.

The Pakistani announcement came after Afghan President Hamid Karzai's sharp accusations that Pakistan is harbouring and supporting the militia, which has stepped up attacks in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has handed over 400 of the arrested Taliban to Afghan authorities, the statement said.

It was not immediately clear whether those arrested included any of the senior figures in the Taliban movement that was ousted from power following a US-led invasion in 2001.