ISLAMABAD, Aug 21: The government claimed on Tuesday to have foiled a terrorist plan to disrupt Independence Day celebrations and busted a gang of radicals involved in two suicide attacks that claimed 33 lives in the capital last month.

“We have arrested two people behind two suicide attacks that took place in district court premises on July 17 and at Aabpara Market on July 27,” Interior Ministry’s spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema told media personnel. The spokesman said the terrorists had planned more attacks in the federal capital on Aug 14 but their plans were thwarted by timely action of intelligence agencies.

Brig (retd) Cheema refused to divulge details, but said that the suicide bombers and two arrested persons believed to be ‘masterminds’ had links with Lal Masjid.Sources in security agencies identified the two as Imdad Hussain of Dera Ismail Khan and Nasir Mehmood of Murree.

Hussain was arrested in Rawalpindi and Mehmood in Murree last week, the sources said.

The sources said they were looking for other gang members, including a businessman of Dera Ismail Khan, who was suspected of recruiting suicide bombers.

They said the gang had links with Baitullah Mehsud and the radical movement in South Waziristan and Dera Ismail Khan.

The sources said the suicide bombers involved in Islamabad attacks had come to Islamabad to avenge the Lal Masjid operation and had stayed at a madressah in Barakahu.

The sources said that five members of the gang had been arrested from the same seminary last week. Two jackets, a computer, some documents about future plans to attack different places were found during the raid.

Mudassir Raja from Rawalpindi adds: Anti Terrorism Court (ATC-1) judge Habibur Rehman on Tuesday sent the two suicide attack masterminds to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

The alleged terrorists had been charged with possessing explosive materials and illegal weapons. The FIR filed by the Shazad Town police said the two men had been arrested from the Rawal Dam Chowk on Aug 20. Imdad Hussain and Nasir Mehmood were possessing pistols and hand-grenades.