The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Saturday said that 18 terrorists were arrested during intelligence-based operations (IBO) across Punjab.

In a statement issued today, the CTD said 134 the IBOs were conducted against terrorism in different districts of the province, including Lahore, Khushab, Gujranwala, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Mandi Bahauddin and Mianwali.

It added that 18 terrorists were arrested, 134 suspects interrogated, while 17 cases were registered against the terrorists, who were being investigated.

The terrorists arrested were identified as Faiz, Azim, Tariq, Asif, Irfan, Ehsan, Fateh, etc, who belonged to Fitna-al-Khawarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan), Islamic State group (also known as Daish) and Al-Qaeda, the statement added.

The statement said that the CTD recovered weapons, 5429 grams of explosives, 18 detonators, a 53-foot safety fuse wire, one IED bomb, pistols with bullets, 48 pamphlets of banned organisations, two mobile phones and Rs28,310 in cash.

It added that the terrorists had planned to target important installations and other places in the province.

During this week, 2716 combing operations were conducted with the support of local police and security agencies, 90141 persons were checked, 278 suspects were arrested, 263 FIRs were registered and 218 recoveries were made, the Department added.

The statement also said that CTD Punjab will continue pursuing its goal of a “safe Punjab” and efforts to put “terrorists and anti-state elements behind bars”.

Earlier in September, three terrorists were killed during an IBO carried out in Nankana Sahib.

Meanwhile, five suspects were arrested in 65 IBOs across Punjab.

Pakistan has experienced an increase in terrorist attacks as a total of 45 of them occurred countrywide in September compared to 59 attacks in the previous month, according to a digital database maintained by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank.