SHEIKHUPURA, Dec 3: Two alleged activists of a banned organization were arrested in a village here on Friday during a major operation which also yielded explosive devices and related gadgets.

The raid in Dera Mehlianwala, 20 kilometres from here, was carried out jointly by the elite force, Sheikhupura, and Sargodha police. Police first raided a mosque in Mehlianwala and arrested Qari Muhammad Aslam. Belonging to Dhal, Sargodha, Aslam had been serving there as prayer leader for three years.

After interrogating him, police arrested his accomplice Ahmad Khan from Sheikhupura town. Stated to be activists of Jaish-i-Muhammad, both the accused are army deserters.

The raid on the Dera Mehlianwala moque also yielded a plastic bag containing 10 bombs weighing about 150 to 200 grams each. Police also recovered 10 detonators, exclosive material weighing two pounds and 30 feet lengthy wire used in the explosion of bombs.

The police confirmed the arrest only of Qari Muhammad Aslam, who was in the lock-up of the A-division police station. Sources said his accomplice was being interrogated by personnel of an intelligence agency.

The sources said the accused, during the interrogation, told police that were plotting a terror strike in Gujranwala in future. Their arrest came after Bhera police arrested a woman and a man in a murder case. They disclosed that the main accused (in the murder case), Ahmad Khan, had taken shelter in Dera Mehlianwala's mosque at the residence of Qari Aslam.