LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Lahore, in a joint operation with intelligence agencies arrested three members of banned outfits AlQaeda and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who allegedly planned to target three densely populated sites - railway stations, Niazi Bus Stand and Darbar Baba Haider Sain.

Identified as Yasir, Mahboob Husain and Khurram Shahzad, the terrorists were tasked with planting explosives weighing 5kg and 4kg at the targetted sites, an official told Dawn on Thursday.

He said law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) traced their locations and arrested them from the provincial capital.

The LEAs recovered explosives and three hand grenades from their possession.

The agencies were aggressively hunting for Asad and Mubashar, the accomplices of Yasir, while they managed to escape.

All the five terrorists belonged to Gujjar Khan tehsil of Rawalpindi. The CTD lodged three separate cases against them under section 4/5 ESA and 7ATA.

Meanwhile, a joint team of LEAs and Malkian Hans police personnel on Thursday afternoon raided Noor Wali Tanki Jhang, Pakpattan district, and captured a suspected terrorist along with two bombs and explosives.

The raid was conducted by a team from Lahore along with local police.

Pakpattan DPO Shah Nawaz Sandhela confirmed the raid.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2015

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