KABUL, Jan 16: Afghan intelligence agents arrested one of the top spokesmen for the Taliban at the Torkham border post on Monday as he crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan, the intelligence agency claimed on Tuesday.

“Our officers in Jalalabad arrested Abdul Haqiq who was operating under the codename of Dr Mohammad Hanif as the Taliban spokesman,” intelligence agency spokesman Sayed Ansari told AFP.

“He was arrested as he entered Afghanistan at the Torkham border yesterday. His identity has been proved and we had intelligence that he was coming. He is in our custody now.”

Mr Hanif often spoke to international and Afghan media about Taliban activities in eastern Afghanistan.

WEAPONS: Afghan forces had uncovered 40 truckloads of weapons, said to belong to the Taliban, hidden in mountain caves in Paktika, a military general said.

The cache included machine guns, rockets and explosives, and was found this week in Gomal district, Gen Samiul Haq told AFP.