Taliban detain veteran militia chief Mohammad Ismail Khan in Afghanistan's Herat

Mohammad Ismail Khan is one of Afghanistan's most prominent warlords

Taliban fighters stand guard along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege. Credit: AFP File Photo

Taliban insurgents detained veteran militia commander Mohammad Ismail Khan on Friday after they seized the western city of Herat, a provincial council member said.

Khan, who has been leading fighters against the Taliban in recent weeks, was handed over to the insurgents along with the provincial governor and security officials under a pact, provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi told Reuters.

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"The Taliban agreed that they will not pose any threat or harm to the government officials who surrendered," Hashimi said.

Khan is one of Afghanistan's most prominent warlords. Known as the Lion of Herat, he battled Soviet occupiers in the 1980s and was a key member of the Northern Alliance whose US-backed forces toppled the Taliban in 2001.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed that Khan had been detained.