The arrest came as new U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was visiting the country

NATO says Afghan forces and NATO-led troops have detained a senior Taleban commander in southern Afghanistan.

In a statement released Wednesday, NATO said the militant was arrested Tuesday night during a raid in Helmand province.

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NATO did not name the Taleban commander, but said he was wanted for questioning by Afghan security officials. It said the detained man had gone to Helmand after fleeing a recent NATO operation in neighboring Kandahar.

The arrest occurred as new U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the capital, Kabul. Gates and Afghan officials discussed ways to defeat the Taleban insurgency.

The hardline Islamic group has increased its attacks in recent months. Last year, an estimated four-thousand people were killed by insurgency-related violence.

Gates wraps up his trip to Afghanistan Wednesday. On Tuesday, he expressed concern about increasing attacks in Afghanistan by militants from neighboring Pakistan.