ABBOTTABAD, Oct 1: Local police during a raid here on Tuesday arrested two alleged terrorists and seized huge cache of explosives and weapons, including three suicide jackets, from their possession.

DIG Hazara Akhter Hayat Khan Gandapur told a hurriedly called press conference at the DPO office here that both the terrorists had close links with the Al-Qaeda network and were currently working for a banned religious organisation.

During initial interrogation, they admitted having links with the gang involved in the rocket attack on Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul in January 2012, and later in a bank robbery at Mansehra, said Mr Gandapur, adding that five of them were later killed in police encounter on August 2, 2013.

Two days back, the DIG said local police during a routine patrol on the main Mansehra road signalled two suspicious bike riders to stop near Zafar market. However, the bikers fled into nearby forest, leaving behind their bike.

He said the police recovered a cap, helmet, mobile phones, a rocket and telescope from the forest, adding a case was registered against them under sections 324/353 PPC, 7/ATA in Mir Pur police station.

Mr Gandapur said special teams led by DPO Abbottabad Mohammad Ali Gandapur were constituted to arrest the fleeing outlaws. “The police with the help of other law enforcement agencies succeeded in arresting Farooque of village Dhamthore. “Later on his tip-off, his accomplice Mohammad Ashraf was arrested from Mangal area,” said the police official.

He said Farooque’s another accomplice Qari Saqib was still at large.

Mr Gandapur said according to papers and material recovered from them, they planned to target some sensitive areas in Abbottabad and other parts of the country.

DPO Mohammad Ali told reporters that a joint investigation carried out by civil and military agencies had found more clues about some other hideouts of the terrorists.

He said police recovered two mortar shells, three rockets, three suicide jackets, four detonators, a grenade detonator, two shells, three booster chargers, two receivers, two igniter switches with detonating card, safety fuse, potassium powder, magazine SMG, SMG live rounds, ordinary jacket, suicide jacket cover, time watch and fake number plates.