MANSEHRA, March 3: A former commander of a banned religious group and the chief of the Lashkar-i-Ababil had organised the attack on an office of the UK-based Plan International on Feb 25 here, said a police official.District Police Officer Mazaharul Haq Kakakail told a press conference at his office here on Monday that nine militants had entered the NGO office and opened fire on the staff.

He said the driver of the vehicle used by the terrorists in the attack had been arrested along with two other members of the gang who had given some important clues about the group. He did not give details, saying investigation was still under way.

He said the arrested accused had been produced in a local court. He said they were being kept under protective detention.

The DPO, flanked by the investigation team members and some relatives of the attack victims, said Lashkar-i-Ababil chief Maulana Mujahid Muhiuddin Shaker was the secondary planner and the former commander of the banned group, Mohammad Irshad alias Taliban, was the mastermind of the attack.

The DPO also gave details about crime history of the two prime suspects and provided their photos to the media. He said police were raiding hideouts at various places in the mountainous area of the Mansehra district.