PESHAWAR- Latif Mehsud, a close aide of former Pakistani Taliban chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, has been handed over to Pakistani authorities, along with his two guards and a broker, sources said on Saturday night.

According to reports, Latif Mehsud, the then number-two of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud, was arrested along with his guards and a tribesman, Shah Jehan on Pak-Afghan border by the Afghan National Army.

Latif was crossing the border allegedly to buy weapons at the time of the arrest. The militants were then snatched by the NATO troops from the Afghan National Army.

The former TTP commander was under the Afghan and NATO troops custody for some time and reportedly was handed over to Pakistani authorities after the recent visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Pakistan.

The Pakistani authorities had been demanding the return of the arrested TTP commanders. The other two militants handed over to Pakistan have been identified as Jafar and Aziz.