Punjab CTD arrests seven suspects

LAHORE: The Counterterrorism Department (CTD) Punjab has foiled a major terror plot by arresting seven suspected terrorists linked with banned outfits.

According to the CTD spokesman, the CTD Punjab conducted 248 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province to deal with any untoward incident of terrorism, in which 248 suspects were interrogated and seven alleged terrorists arrested with weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials. The arrested are Khalid, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Salman, Nadeem, Akmal, Muhammad Yasir Yasin and Musa Khan who belong to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The arrests were made in Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Pakpattan, Rawalpindi and Sargodha. The spokesman said 955 grams of explosives, 2 hand grenades, 2 ISD bombs, 9 detonators, 41 feet of safety fuse wire, 3.5 feet of prima card, 23 pamphlets of banned organizations, 36 stickers and Rs 8,850 were recovered.

The spokesman said the terrorists had planned to sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations. The police have registered seven cases and shifted them to an unknown location. He said 1,136 combing operations were conducted this week with the help of local police and security agencies; 46,467 people were checked, 132 suspects arrested, 120 FIRs registered and 41 recoveries made. The CTD Punjab is diligently pursuing its goal of a safe Punjab and no stone will be left unturned in its effort to bring terrorists and anti-state elements behind the bars. He said in case of any related information, call the CTD helpline 080011111.