8 militants arrested in separate raids in Pak

Eight suspected terrorists belonging to different terror outfits including al-Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) have been arrested in separate raids here in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

According to the Counter Terrorism Department of Punjab police, a police team after receiving information about the presence of the militants raided a football ground in Gulshan Ravi Lahore on Thursday and arrested two suspects. “They belong to al-Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. They were planning to attack government buildings in Lahore,” the CTD said. Some 800 gram explosive material, four-foot prima card and two electric circuit detonators have been recovered from the suspects.

In another incident, CTD in collaboration with the police raided a house in Bahawalnagar district, some 400 kilometers from here, arrested three suspected terrorists of banned outfits like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e- Jhangvi (LeJ). The CDT said a team raided a house near a shrine and arrested three terrorists, seizing arms and ammunition from them. It said the arrested suspects were planning to attack the shrine.

In the third incident, three alleged terrorists of al-Qaeda and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan were arrested from Faisalabad and Ali Pur Chatha, some 200 km from here. The CTD said police team raided a house on Sumundari Road Faisalabad and arrested the suspects. Some 575 grams explosives, 9 feet 6 inches prima cord, eight electric circuit, detonators and extremist literature was recovered, they said.