ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Pakistan has handed over 443 suspected Al Qaeda operatives to US authorities till to date, it was reliably learnt here on Sunday.

Defence sources told Dawn that Pakistan authorities arrested more than 500 Al

Qaeda members since the launch of US-led anti-terror campaign in Afghanistan. Of these, 443 have been remanded to the custody of US authorities, they said.

Pakistan authorities, who are working in close coordination with the US security agencies, made the arrests during a series of search operations in various parts of the country, including the tribal areas. Special forces and military intelligence (MI), sources said, conduct the joint operations.

American authorities have transported the suspects to some undisclosed foreign destination for interrogation.

According to MI sources, the arrested suspects belong to 18 different countries, including Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, Morocco, Chechnya and France. Most of the suspected Al Qaeda members handed over to the US authorities were Arab nationals with Yemenese topping the list. However, the exact nationality breakdown was not made known.

So far, the highest-ranking Al Qaeda associate apprehended by Pakistani authorities is Abu Zubaydah, who is considered to be the right hand man of Osama bin Laden. He was arrested last year in March during a midnight raid in Faisalabad.