Pakistani authorities arrest suspected militant with ties to al-Qaida operatives

Pakistani authorities arrested a suspected militant with links to al-Qaida operatives that were targeted in U.S. attack last week, an official said Sunday.

The man, who was not identified, was picked up in Damadola village, the remote hamlet where U.S. missiles struck Jan. 13, the security official said on condition of anonymity according to official policy.

The man arrested was a relative of Faqir Mohammed, the pro-Taliban cleric intelligence officials believe is responsible for removing _ and concealing _ the bodies of the extremists following the airstrike, the official said.

At least four al-Qaida operatives are understood to have been killed, including one of the network's top bombmakers, Egyptian Midhat Mursi.

The official refused to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, AP reported. V.A.