In Pakistan, security forces today arrested 17 militants, including an important Taliban commander and his son. Commander Gul Rehman and his son were apprehended in Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province where they were hiding.Rehman was among the senior leaders of the Taliban faction led by rebel cleric Maulana Fazlullah and was wanted for several crimes.Security forces seized a large quantity of arms and explosives during operations in northwest Pakistan. Extremist elements within the Sunni and Shia communities frequently attack each other in Hangu district, especially during the festival of Moharram. The arrests were made to avert such violence.