KARACHI, Feb 16: Karachi police on Friday claimed to have arrested three suspected Al Qaeda suicide bombers and seized arms and ammunition from their possession.

Police officials said that a police party had been deployed near Zikri Goth after the CID received information about the suspect’s presence in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

The officials said the suspects were arrested after an encounter which took place when the police ordered nine suspects riding on three motorcycles to stop. Six of the suspected terrorists managed to evade arrest, they said.

The arrested suspects were identified as Mohammed Shahid alias Kashif, Farhan alias Nasir and Ghani Subhan.

Police seized three hand-grenades, an AK-47 rifle, two pistols and an suicide jacket from their possession.

The officials said the men belonged to a group headed by Qari Zafar, who was operating from Wana, adding that they had planned to carry out suicide attacks during the Ideas 2007 exhibition and Ashura procession but strict security measures had thwarted their plans.

They also said that the three suspects had been trained in Azam Warsak, near Wana, by Maulvi Abbas and ‘Commander’ Javed, who originally belonged to the Naik Mohammed group.

The officials said that the suspects had been tasked by Qari Zafar to assassinate some law-enforcement personnel.

They said that the suspects were planning to carry out suicide bombings during the Chehlum procession.

The suspects were said to have been in possession of a CD containing a suicide message recorded by one of the suspects. The message was to be sent to the media after a suicide attack.