KARACHI, Oct 19: Four foreigners have been arrested for their alleged links to Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda organization since the United States launched its military operations in Afghanistan on Oct 7.

According to well-placed intelligence sources, the foreigners — three Germans and one Australian — were arrested at Chaman when they were crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan.

One of the German nationals, the sources said, was extradited to Germany within 48 hours of his arrest while the rest, who were arrested two days later at the same border point, are in the custody of Inter-Services Intelligence.

The sources said that a joint team of ISI and FBI was interrogating the suspects. The sources declined to divulge the names of the suspects.

Meanwhile, three persons were taken to Islamabad from Quetta by a PIA flight amid tight security, a source said on Friday.

They are likely to be extradited to the US in connection with the September 11 attacks, adds our staff reporter from Islamabad.

These persons were taken out of the airport premises through the “Gammon Gate” which is not used by passengers, he added.

Earlier, a Jordanian national identified as Zayad Hassan, who had been convicted in the Pan Am airliner hijacking case (1986), was extradited to America by the Pakistani authorities.