Top Terror Leader Captured and Critically Wounded
Mansour Dadullah was taped last summer sending out terror teams to the U.S.
Feb. 11, 2008— -- Pakistani forces have captured and critically wounded the Taliban terror boss who was videotaped at a graduation ceremony sending off teams of new recruits to the U.S. and Europe last summer.
Mansour Dadullah was captured after an intense firefight in a remote area along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. A Taliban spokesman confirmed that Dadullah and four other Taliban members were captured.
Dadullah is believed to be critically wounded, and earlier today rumors were circulating that he had been killed.
ABCNews.com has previously reported on the Taliban graduation ceremony video featuring Dadullah, whose brother was killed by the U.S. last year.
The video showed large teams of newly trained suicide bombers said to be on their way to the United States and Europe. Dadullah congratulated each team as they stood. The teams were assigned to carry out attacks in the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Germany.
"These Americans, Canadians, British and Germans come here to Afghanistan from faraway places," Dadullah says on the tape. "Why shouldn't we go after them?"
Following ABCNews.com's reporting on the video, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued an intelligence bulletin stating that while there was no evidence to suggest a "specific and imminent threat to the Homeland," the agencies would continue to "monitor intelligence for signs of such plotting or any related activity" and urges recipients "to maintain their high level of vigilance because extremists in these groups remain determined to strike in the West, especially the United States."
And in Germany, security was being increased there after German authorities received intelligence reports indicating threats of potential multiple suicide bomb attacks.
The Pakistani paramilitary force led today's operation in a remote border area of Pakistan across from Kandahar, Afghanistan. Afghan and Western officials say they believe Taliban leader Mullah Omar uses the same area as a hideout.