ISLAMABAD, June 10: The government on Tuesday claimed that six alleged terrorists who were arrested during Thursday’s operation in Rawalpindi had links with a terrorist organisation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and were involved in two suicide attacks in Islamabad, on July 17 and 27 last year.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that the gang was not only involved in last year’s bombings at F-8 Markaz and Aabpara market but also in the recent attack outside the Danish embassy,” Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik said at a press briefing with Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Tariq Pervez. Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah was present on the occasion.

Mr Malik said the arrested men belonged to a local gang which was working for a main terrorist group based in Fata, adding that they were planning to blow up important buildings in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

He said that investigators had found some similarities in the blasts that took place at the PAF base in Sargodha, FIA regional headquarters in Lahore and the Danish embassy. “The base explosive in all three incidents was potassium chloride and ball bearings and nuts and bolts used in them were quite similar,” he added.

Six terrorists, including three alleged suicide bombers and three handlers, were arrested from the densely-populated Dhok Kala Khan area in Rawalpindi and three explosives-laden vehicles were seized.

The terrorists were identified as Intikhab Ahmed Abbasi of Murree, Abdul Kabir alias Yasir of Abbottabad, Zafar Ali alias Abdulllah of Kohat, Abid Khan of Tank, Qamar Zaman of D.I. Khan and Mohammad Ishaq alias Kamran of Tank.

A brother of accused Intikhar Ahmed Abbasi had been arrested for alleged involvement in the F-8 Markaz suicide attack on July 17 last year.

“Had the explosive material carried by even a single vehicle exploded, one residential sector would have been completely destroyed,” the adviser said.

He said a joint investigation team had found many clues which would be shared with the media at an appropriate time.

FIA DG Pervez, who is heading the investigation team, said that threats of suicide attacks had increased in the settled areas of the country, including Punjab. “Last year nine suicide attacks were carried out and this year so far 16 suicide attacks have been reported,” he said.

He said that currently many local networks were operating in different areas of the country under a central command.

When asked if the group had any link with the suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto, Mr Malik said: “We are interrogating the accused and once the investigation is completed we will be able to say anything about it.”

Later, journalists were shown the explosives-laden vehicles parked in the FIA Headquarters. The explosive material had been concealed in pressure cookers and milk containers.