KARACHI: Police on Friday claimed to have apprehended a militant having alleged links with Middle-East based Islamic State group, it has been learnt.

The police’s Counter-Terrorism Department detained Abdul Aziz from Orangi Town area of the metropolis, said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

The officer said that the held suspect was allegedly collecting funds and was involved in recruiting youths for IS to be sent to Syria.

In a related development, Sindh Rangers on Friday apprehended two suspected militants belonging to banned outfit in the same Orangi Town and recovered weapons from them, said the spokesperson of the paramilitary force.

Earlier this week, the CTD claimed that it had busted a cell of the militant Islamic State group operating in Sialkot, arrested eight suspects and seized weapons, explosives and laptops, as well as a large number of compact discs containing publicity material.

Investigators claimed that the suspects had taken an oath to “overthrow democracy and introduce Khilafat in Pakistan through armed struggle”.

The suspects arrested by CTD belong to different districts of Punjab, but Sialkot served as the base of their operations. They had already established infrastructure in the district to carry out operations across the country.

It was, however, not clear when did the CTD bust the cell.

While on Wednesday, the adviser to prime minister on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, said certain elements trying to associate with IS were arrested from Sialkot, however, "it is the rise of IS in Afghanistan which is the cause of concern for Pakistan".