Taliban commander dies from gunshot wounds after his capture

The army media centre says Sher Muhammad Qasab died in custody on Sunday. Qasab’s three sons were also killed in the gunbattle with security forces in the Swat Valley.

Qasab had a bounty of US$121,000 on his head. Qasab is an Urdu-language word meaning “butcher”. He was given the title because of his ruthlessness toward enemies.

The arrest was the third in the army’s list of the 10 most-wanted Swat militants.

The Pakistani Taliban has been on the run after being cleared from the scenic valley and surrounding areas in July. Their leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed in an August. 5 CIA missile strike.