ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: Pakistani security forces have arrested an Afghan militant leader who allegedly masterminded the month-long kidnap ordeal of three UN workers, officials said on Saturday.

Syed Mohammad Akbar Agha, head of Jaishul Muslimeen (Army of Muslims), was captured in a raid in the southern port city of Karachi, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said without giving details.

"Agha was arrested from a flat in central Karachi early last week," a senior security official said, adding that he "put up no resistance when the security forces raided his flat".

The official said efforts were under way to arrest some of Agha's accomplices.

The minister said no decision had been taken on whether to hand Agha over to Kabul.

"Our agencies are perfectly capable of interrogating him," he said.

Jaishul Muslimeen claimed the abduction of Shqipe Hebibi from Kosovo, Annetta Flanigan of Northern Ireland and Filipino diplomat Angelito Nayan from a busy Kabul street on Oct 28.

The trio, who were overseeing Afghanistan's first presidential elections in October, were released unharmed on Nov 23 after prolonged negotiations with the Afghan government during which the abductors set several deadlines to kill the hostages.

The Afghan government insisted no agreement was reached with the abductors and no ransom was paid for the freedom of the UN hostages

Agha has told interrogators he slipped across the border into southwestern Pakistan from where he managed to reach Karachi to escape a manhunt in Afghanistan, the official said.

"We have raided several suspected hideouts of Agha's accomplices in cities in southwestern Balochistan province and also Karachi, but we have not met any success," the official said.

The Afghan government welcomed Agha's arrest.-AFP