HYDERABAD, Oct 2: The Hyderabad police arrested three people, including an activist of a banned organization, in a raid in a house in Khokhar Mohallah on Thursday.

Briefing newsmen here on Thursday, the regional police officer, Hyderabad, Ghulam Mohammad Malkani, said that the suspects included Zahid Mushtaq Mughal alias Abu Hurera, Saleem and Amjad.

A statement was distributed among journalists, mentioning that the in charge, Madadgar 15, Rana Shafique, and the SHO, Cantonment police station, Rao Amir, raided the house of one Rafi Mustafa in Khokhar Mohallah and arrested Zahid Mushtaq, who was found possessing a TT pistol.

A notebook was also seized from him, containing sensitive information.

Other accomplices of Mughal, who included Rafi Mustafa, Samiullah alias Danyal, Sajid alias A. Dino, Maulvi Sanaullah and Faisal, had fled before the raid.

During investigation conducted by the SP, City, Mujahid Akbar Aziz, and the ASP, Cantonment, Dr Inam Waheed Mughal, the suspect confessed that he along with his accomplices intended to explode a bomb in the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority office in Civil Lines so that both religious leaders as well as foreigners could be targeted.

He further said that he had exploded a bomb near the Barrage Colony, while another went dud near the Rajputana Hospital.

The RPO said that the suspects belonging to banned militant outfits, including Jaish-i-Muhammad and Harkatul Mujahideen Al- Alami, were also associated with Maulana Imran (also of the Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami), who was under trial in the bombing outside the US Consulate in Karachi.

On the information provided by Zahid Mushtaq, police raided the house of Shahid Farooqui and recovered a TT pistol, 50 rounds and explosive materials.

Mushtaq disclosed that he used to get explosives from Amjad and Saleem, both residents of Phuleli.

While sitting in a police mobile along with the co-accused, Amjad told this correspondent that he was a resident of Faqir Ka Pir and was arrested by the police 20 days back, and added that he came to know Zahid through his neighbour, Zeeshan.

He admitted that he obtained an explosive from Saleem and provided it to Zahid, while Saleem said that he used to make fireworks and was a resident of Islamabad, Hyderabad, and added that he had been in police custody for the last 18 days.

Zahid told this correspondent that he was picked up by the police on Sept 13 from Barrage Colony. He said that he joined Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami in 1999 and had been to Afghanistan as well.