Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested nine terrorists following 71 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the province, the law enforcement agency said in a statement on Saturday.

The CTD regularly carries out operations across the province to prevent and investigate terrorism-related activities and gather intelligence. Operating under the provincial police department, CTD Punjab plays a key role in maintaining internal security and countering terrorism within the country.

“The CTD conducted 71 IBOs across various cities in Punjab due to terrorism concerns,” the statement quoted a CTD Punjab spokesperson as saying.

“Nine terrorists were arrested during the operations.”

He mentioned that the operations took place in Lahore, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad.

One terrorist of Fitna-ul-Khawarij was arrested from Mianwali, while another terrorist belonging to Islamic State (IS) was arrested from Faisalabad, the spoksperson added.

In July, the government, through an official notification, designated the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al Khawarij, while mandating all institutions to use the term Khariji (outcast) when referring to the perpetrators of terrorist attacks on Pakistan.

According to the CTD spokesperson, explosives, two hand grenades, 26 detonators, a 73-feet safety fuse wire, bullets, arms, mobile phones, and cash were recovered from terrorists during the operations.

The arrested terrorists were identified as Abdul Kareem, Usman, Imran Siddiqui, Shani, Shaukat, Ahmed Khan, Shiraz Mahmood, Saeed ur Rehman and Mustajab, the statement added.

The CTD added that the terrorists wanted to spread fear and panic among the people by operating at different places.

Meanwhile, a total of 78 suspects were arrested during 978 combing operations this week, while 34,694 people were questioned in combing operations.

A day prior, the CTD Punjab killed two terrorists during an operation carried out in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Pakistan has experienced an increase in terrorist attacks as a total of 59 of them occurred countrywide in August compared to 38 attacks in the previous month, according to a digital database maintained by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank.