KARACHI — A man with suspected ties to Al-Qaeda has been arrested in Pakistan, officials said Sunday, sparking contradictory reports that he could be America's most-wanted Al-Qaeda spokesman.
Pakistani security officials arrested a suspected militant going by the name Abu Yahiya in the country's teeming financial capital Karachi.
Initial unconfirmed reports suggested he could have been US-born spokesman for Al-Qaeda, Adam Yahiye Gadahn, who faces charges in the United States and for whom the US government has a one-million-dollar reward.
But three senior security officials said Abu Yahiya was not Gadahn.
"We thought it could have been a big catch, but it appeared it's not Gadahn. We're trying to confirm his nationality and background," a senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Gadahn has been indicted in California for treason and providing material support to Al-Qaeda. The FBI says the 31-year-old US citizen operates under multiple aliases, including "Azzam the American".
The charges relate to Gadahn's alleged involvement in a number of terrorist activities, including providing aid and comfort to Al-Qaeda and services for Al-Qaeda, the FBI says.
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