LAHORE: Punjab police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday claimed the arrest of five suspected members of banned organisations.

According to the CTD, 36 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were carried out across the province during which several suspected militants were interrogated and arrests were made.

The five suspects have been identified as Muhammad Musa of the militant Islamic State group, Abdul Hannan of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Rehmat Ali of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Muavia and Muhammad Arabi of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, as per the CTD.

The alleged militants have been booked under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-terrorism Act. The cases have been registered at CTD’s Lahore, Sheikhupura and Bahawalpur police stations.

The CTD also claimed to have recovered banned outfits’ literature, receipt books of proscribed outfits, pamphlets, a mobile phone and some cash from the suspects’ possession.

The CTD added that 458 combing operations were conducted with the help of local police during this week in which 97 suspects were arrested.

The fresh claim of arrests came two weeks after the CTD Punjab arrested five alleged terrorists during IBOs from various districts.

Earlier, on Jan 1, the CTD claimed to have arrested five suspected militants who were planning terrorist attacks.

A day after the arrests, on Jan 2, officials of an intelligence agency were shot dead in the parking of a roadside hotel in Khanewal.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023