QUETTA, Nov 21: Police on Tuesday arrested 47 suspected Taliban from various areas in the provincial capital. "They are the real Taliban. They had illegally crossed into Pakistan a week ago," Salman Syed, the Capital City Police Officer said.

According to sources, heavy police contingents conducted raids in Pashtoonabad, Saddar and Kuchlak areas after they were tipped off about their presence.

Police took 28 Talibans into custody from the Pashtoonabad area. They had been living in a rented house which was being used as a ‘Madressah’. One of them was found in injured condition and was shifted to the Civil Hospital. Four other Taliban suspects were rounded up from the Saddar area.

Another group of 15 suspected Taliban were arrested from Kuchlak, a small town about 25 km from here on the Quetta-Chaman road.

"Police raids would continue to arrest any Taliban who come to Pakistan illegally," the CCPO Quetta said, adding that all the arrested suspects had been booked under the Foreigners Act and were handed over to authorities concerned for interrogation. "At the moment, I cannot say if there any wanted Taliban leader among the arrested suspects," he said.

The arrested Taliban, he said, would later be handed over to the Afghan government after completion of formalities in Spin Buldak.

Officials said that the Taliban suspects belonged to southern parts of Afghanistan including Zabul, Uruzgan, Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

Meanwhile, a law-enforcement agency arrested an Afghan national at the Afghan border in Chaman. He was trying to illegally cross into Pakistan. A pistol was recovered from his possession. The man was handed over to the authorities concerned for interrogation.

Officials also confirmed the arrest of 77 Afghans from Turbat who wanted to cross into Iran.