Various explosive materials recovered including suicide vests, detonators, safety fuse wires and prohibited stickers.
LAHORE:
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Tuesday arrested 16 suspected terrorists, including a suicide bomber, during Intelligence Based Operations (IBO) conducted in several cities of Punjab, a CTD spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, a total of 113 PCIs were carried out across the province, targeting areas such as Khushab, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, Jhang, Bhakkar, Lahore, Faisalabad, Chakwal, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad and Gujranwala.
Authorities said a “dangerous suicide bomber linked to Fitna al-Khawarij” had been arrested in Jhang, with a suicide vest and explosive materials.
Fitna al-Khawarij is the state-designated term for the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In a separate operation in Sargodha, a suspect identified as Malkay Khan was arrested for his alleged involvement in attacks on security installations.
The spokesperson said the suspects had planned to target police checkpoints, but the plots were “foiled through timely action”.
A range of explosive materials were recovered during the operations, including suicide vests, detonators, safety fuse wires, prohibited stickers, prohibited literature and cash.
Some of the arrested suspects have been identified as Moin Khan, Asil Din, Nasir Shah, Marjan, Malle Khan, Naseeb Khan, Ali Abdullah, Saifullah, Arif Khan and Abrarul Haq, the CTD said.
Read also: 13 terrorists killed in two separate IBOs in KP, army says
The spokesperson added that 2,830 search operations were also carried out during the week, during which 95,755 people were questioned and 190 suspects were taken into custody.
The CTD said operations against militant networks would continue uninterrupted across the province.
In January, six terrorists were killed during a CTD operation in Mianwali after coming under fire from their own accomplices. During the operation, the suspects opened fire on CTD staff. During a firefight, six militants were killed by gunfire from their own associates, while eight others managed to escape.
The CTD said they recovered a suicide vest, three hand grenades, six submachine guns, around 200 bullets and other explosive materials from the scene.
In December last year, Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar issued a high security alert across the province and ordered immediate launch of search and search operations in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and other districts of the province.
The IGP ordered profiling and data verification of all people entering the province from other regions. He said surveillance of all banned organisations, including the TLP, should continue regularly and door-to-door campaigns should be intensified to track down potential activists and miscreants.
