LAHORE, Sept 2: Jhang police claimed on Thursday having arrested two suspected terrorists of the outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. Identified as Liaquat Ali alias Abid and Abdur Raoof alias Mitha, the suspected terrorists were held in a raid conducted on the information from sources , Jhang DPO Khadim Bhatti told Dawn by phone.

He said the accused in their initial interrogation had confessed to having planned attacks on imambargahs and other sensitive places. Arms included five Kalashnikovs, six rockets, two rocket launchers and an Oozi gun were also seized from them.

The DPO said that both the suspects had a long criminal record, including several sectarian cases against them. An intelligence source said that a foreigner was also detained with the two suspects and the three had been working for Al-Qaeda.

However, the police chief did not own their association with the Al-Qaeda network. "No they don't have links to the network." He also denied of having held the foreigner. "Of which foreigner you are talking about," he said when asked whether any foreigner was with the suspects when they were arrested.