Pakistan says it arrested an al-Qaida leader who was a close aide to Osama bin Laden

Associated Press

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan counterterrorism police say they have arrested an al-Qaida leader who was a close aide to Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Deputy inspector general of police Usman Gondal identified the man as Amin ul Haq and said he was nabbed by the Counter-Terrorism Department in Punjab province after a yearslong hunt. He says the arrest foiled possible attacks being planned by Haq in the province. Haq’s name is included in a U.N. sanctions list of people linked to al-Qaida. An Afghan, he was accused of working as a financer for al-Qaida and supplying arms to insurgents.