January 4, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 19, 1422

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QUETTA, Jan 3: Police on Thursday arrested some suspected terrorists and seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition dumped in a house on the outskirts of the city.

A team of the city police, headed by senior officials, raided a house in the Killi Faizabad area and seized a big quantity of arms and ammunition, including two 107mm rockets, six kalashnikov rifles, one rocket launcher, four rockets, four hand grenades, one 32-bore pistol, 15 timers, 20 explosive timers, 77 detonators, 284 explosive bars, 44 large and small fuses, one power battery charger, four small chargers, one dagger, 35 magazines of kalashnikov, 856 rounds and many other small weapons and ammunition.

The police said more illegal arms and ammunition were expected to be recovered from the area, as the police were conducting more raids.

“We have arrested several suspects from a hideout of the terrorists, who have links with Indian Intelligence Agency (RAW)”, Dr Shoaib Saddal, the inspector-general of police, Balochistan, told a news conference here on Thursday evening.

He said the group had been involved in the rockets fire and bomb blasts in Quetta during the last two years.

He alleged that the group was sponsored by RAW and that the police had “clear-cut evidence” about it.

The IG said the group was involved in the terrorist attacks on the city and was getting financial support from the Indian Consulate in Zahidan, Iran.

He said the Foreign Office would take up the matter with the Iran government about the involvement of the Indian Consulate in the terrorist activities. Those arrested had obtained hardcore training from India, he added.

Dr Saddle stated that the police had a substantial evidence that some people had received Rs10 million from abroad recently and that they had links with the Indians arrested by the police.

Replying to a question, the provincial police chief said the terrorist were paid handsome money through a third country for their sabotage activities, as some active members of the group were living outside the country and were getting direct payment from their sponsors.

Answering another question, he said: “We are withholding details for the time being due to some reasons and can not disclose the names of the terrorists.”

The police also seized a huge quantity of arms and ammunition last week and arrested some people, who, during investigation, disclosed that they had links with RAW.

A team, comprising senior police officer, has been set up to interrogate the alleged terrorists.