A high-ranking Taleban commander has been captured by Afghan troops in western Afghanistan, an Afghan military official has said.

Haji Sultan, who is thought to have led attacks against Afghan and US troops, was captured in the province of Farah.

Another senior Taleban official, Mullah Mohammed Rahim, was also arrested.

Taleban insurgents have stepped up attacks on Afghan and US troops in the past two months, following a winter lull in their activities.

Afghan defence ministry spokesman Zahir Azimy said that Haji Sultan, who was wanted by the US military, had been handed over to them for investigation.

Declining force

Mr Azimy told Reuters news agency that investigators would try to find out whether he could shed some light on the whereabouts of Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

American commanders recently characterised the Taleban as a declining force.

The US says the Taleban are down to around 2,000 men, with declining appeal to former leaders and to the population.

However, some analysts say Afghanistan is witnessing an increase, not a decrease, in what they describe as the Taleban’s sophisticated attacks, and they believe that will continue during the coming months.

There are about 18,000 US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan tracking al-Qaeda and Taleban militants.

The military and the insurgents have been involved in a number of heavy clashes, particularly in the south and east, over the past few months.