ISLAMABAD, March 9: Twelve Pakistani intelligence operatives conducted the March 1 pre-dawn operation to capture Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s alleged right-hand man, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, investigations into the two-hour operation have revealed.

A “foreign agent” gave the tip-off to Inter-Services Intelligence top brass, sources told Dawn.

They said the “foreign agent” was flown in “from somewhere” to provide the intelligence about Khalid Shaikh, one of the ‘most wanted’ of the Al Qaeda leadership. The reason was to avert risk of any communication intercept by the Al Qaeda operatives in possession of sophisticated equipment.

The agent, stated to be of United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, informed the intelligence agency officials that through a communication intercept, it had been learnt that Khalid Shaikh was in transit. They were told that the authorities had four hours as Khalid Shaikh planned to leave for an unknown destination after that time.

Intelligence officials had the option to trail or capture Khalid Shaikh, and they decided to go for the capture.

A 12-member squad was mobilized for the operation in the Rawalpindi cantonment area where he was lodging. Owing to the FBI’s ‘big signature,’ it was decided not to include its operatives in the squad.

During the operation, a member of the raiding team, Lt-Col Jehangir, was shot at and hit in the leg by Khalid Shaikh, who initially resisted his capture. The official is reportedly recovering from the bullet injury.

Like Abu Zubaydah’s arrest a year back, that was not made public for about 10 days, the ISI officials had hoped to keep the “lid on” this one as well. Their argument being that it would have aided in a more effective operation in nabbing other key Al Qaeda men. However, the US Central Investigation Agency immediately informed President Bush, who chose to go public, probably under domestic pressure for not delivering on the Al Qaeda front.

With the news of the arrest out, Al Qaeda men were on the run again. Their sanctuaries are now changed, which would render useless some leads obtained from Khalid Shaikh’s arrest.

Sources said the main reason for Khalid Shaikh to be flown to the US base in Bagram was that the interrogation facilities were better there.

Two personnel from the Military Intelligence, stationed in Bagram, are currently interrogating Khalid Shaikh with a US intelligence team, sources said.

The Polygram test conducted to determine truthfulness of apprehended suspects had proved to be effective, sources said.

They indicated that Khalid Shaikh had been put through the test that involved administering what had come to be known as the ‘truth injection’.

Search for other key Al Qaeda operatives has gone into high gear after the arrest that has given important leads which President Gen Pervez Musharraf mentioned in an interview.