A senior leader of an al Qaida-linked terror group has been captured in Afghanistan, dressed as a woman.

Nato said the arrest was the latest in a series of cases involving male militants disguised as females.

It said a joint Afghan-coalition force caught the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and two of his associates during a night-time operation in Kunduz city. The suspects' names were not disclosed.

Nato said he was wearing a burka when captured.

The coalition said that in the past two months there have been several arrests of suspected militants wearing burkas to disguise themselves in order not to be caught by Afghan-led forces.

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