Muslim Khan, spokesman for the Swat Taliban, is the highest ranking Swat Taliban commander to be arrested since the government began its offensive earlier this year to retake the Swat Valley from Taliban militants. He and the other Taliban leaders were arrested Sept. 3 during a search operation in the suburbs of Mingora, said Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas.

Another Swat Taliban leader, Mehmood Khan, and three other Taliban commanders were arrested in the operation. Abbas would not discuss specifically how or where the arrests took place.

The Swat Taliban's main leader, Maulana Fazlullah, remains at large four months after Pakistani troops launched their offensive to flush the Taliban out of Swat, which had fallen under militant control after Taliban leaders reneged on their agreement to lay down their arms in exchange for the imposition of Sharia law in the region.

Still, the arrests of Muslim Khan and the others hands the Taliban in Swat one of its most significant setbacks as it tries to regroup.

One of the major criticisms levied against the Pakistani military has been that, despite regaining control over Swat's major cities and towns, the Taliban leadership had largely remained intact. More than 1.6 million Pakistanis have returned to their homes in Swat after the conclusion of the offensive, but many remain fearful that Taliban leaders will eventually organize a new wave of attacks in Mingora, Swat's largest city, and other towns in the valley.

Khan, who for a time lived in the U.S., acted as the primary spokesman for Fazlullah, conducting frequent interviews with local and international journalists and freely giving out his cell and home phone numbers. But Abbas stressed, "He was much more than a spokesman. He was one of the main leaders of the Swat Taliban, at the top of the hierarchy. So it's very significant."

Since the return of refugees to Swat, Taliban militants have carried out several attacks in the region, focusing much of their attention on local police. However, the heavy military presence that remains in Swat has largely kept militants in check.

The Taliban's leadership in Pakistan's tribal areas along the Afghan border has also been dealt severe setbacks in recent weeks. A U.S. drone missile strike in August killed top Taliban leader Baitullah Mahsud. And Mahsud's spokesman, Maulvi Umar, was captured by Pakistani troops in mid-August.

Mahsud has since been replaced by one of his deputies, Hakimullah Mahsud, and analysts have stressed the importance of forging ahead with a military push to erode the Taliban's hold in the tribal areas before they can regroup. However, Pakistani military leaders say it may take several months to prepare a ground offensive to rout the Taliban there.