Karachi: A key commander of a banned Iranian sectarian extremist group was arrested by security forces in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, officials said on Sunday.
Jundullah commander Abdul Salam Rigi was arrested near provincial capital Quetta, the officials said.
"He was arrested during a security check near the Lok Pas area on the outskirts of Quetta on Sunday morning," said an official.
Rigi was held when he was coming from the Iranian town of Taftan to Quetta on a bus, he said adding that the militant commander has been taken to an undisclosed place for questioning.
Rigi was the senior most commander of Jundullah after the capture and subsequent execution of the group's former chief Abdul Malek Rigi by the Iranian government in 2010.
Jundullah, which is based in Iran's southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has in the past claimed several attacks on Shia Hazara Muslims, government installations and security forces in the volatile Balochistan province.
The official said Rigi is suspected of carrying out bomb attacks in Pakistan and Iran.
Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani confirmed the arrest of a "suspect" but did not say he was Abdul Salam Rigi.
"I can only say he is in custody of security forces and has been taken for questioning," said Durrani.
