Iran demands Pakistan extradite Jundullah commander

Tehran has asked Islamabad to hand over Abdulsattar Rigi, arrested by law enforcement agencies in Balochistan

TEHRAN: Iran on Wednesday demanded the extradition of a senior Jundullah commander, who was arrested over the weekend from Balochistan, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported, according to an Associated Press report.

The Fars agency quoted Chief of Iran's branch of Interpol General Masoud Rezvani as saying that Tehran is asking Islamabad to hand over Abdulsattar Rigi, arrested by Pakistani law enforcement agencies in Balochistan as he was travelling on a bus.

Read: Jailed abroad: Jundullah commander arrested in Quetta.

Iran requested Interpol to arrest Abdulsattar, a cousin of Abdulmalik Rigi, who is also a "well known terrorist," Rezvani said.

In early 2011, top Jundullah commander Abdulmalik was arrested and executed by Iran.

According to the report, after Iran took into captivity most Jundullah members and disbanded the group, the remaining militants created a new faction known as the Jaishal Adl, which is believed to be affiliated with al Qaeda. The militant outfit is responsible for carrying out several attacks in Iran over the past two years.

Read: Jundullah vows allegiance to Islamic State

A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Associated Press arrest of a the senior Jundullah commander but did not provide further details.

In February 2014, Jaishal Adl abducted five Iranian border guards outside Sarbaz, a town in Iran's restive southeastern Sistan-Balochistan province bordering Pakistani. The guards were taken to Pakistan and one of them was reported killed in captivity while the remaining four were released two months later.