LAHORE, Jan 8: Intelligence agents on Tuesday claimed arresting an Al Qaeda-linked militant and six of his associates in connection with an attack on a bus of the Pakistan Air Force in November that killed eight people and wounded about 40 others.

The suspect, identified as Ahsanul Haq, is a retired army major, an official said. He was caught in Lahore last month following the attack in Sargodha, the official said.

Mr Haq told security forces the name of the bomber, who belonged to an outlawed militant group, the security official said.

“Ahsanul Haq was the mastermind of the attack on the air force bus, and six of his associates have also been arrested on his information.”—Agencies

Our correspondent in Sargodha adds: Senior officials refused to speak about the claim despite repeated requests.