Nato announces arrest over major base attack

KABUL (AFP) - The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) said it had arrested a Taleban leader on Tuesday wanted for an unprecedented attack on a major military base in southern Afghanistan that destroyed six United States (US) fighter jets and killed two US Marines.

The US-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said troops detained the suspect and two other suspected insurgents in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province, where the giant Camp Bastion is located.

"The Taleban leader was successfully taken into custody by the security force following joint efforts by Afghan and coalition forces to track down the Taleban insurgents responsible for the Camp Bastion attack," Isaf said.

The military said it believed the suspect had provided support to those who stormed the base on late Friday, but did not elaborate further.