ISLAMABAD, June 13: Security agencies have arrested eight Al Qaeda terrorists involved in the recent incidents of terrorism in Karachi and Quetta, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Interior Minister Makhdoom Syed Faisal Hayat told newsmen at a hurriedly-called press conference here on Sunday.

They also disclosed the arrest of Masoob Aroochi, a nephew of Al Qaeda leader Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, in a separate raid. Aroochi carries a head money of $1 million. However, the ministers did not say when and from where Aroochi had been arrested.

In reply to a question about the eight arrested terrorists, the ministers said: "The terrorists trained by Al Qaeda in Wana have been working under a new terrorists network called 'Jundullah'."

The ministers said the arrested terrorists were involved in terrorist attacks in Quetta and Karachi, including an attack on a musical concert by an Indian singer, a car bomb blast outside the US consulate and last week's attack on the convoy of corps commander, Karachi.

The ring leader of the 'Jundullah' gang, Ataur Rehman, had been trained in Wana. Talking to Dawn, the information minister denied that the detained terrorists were foreigners or of Central Asian origin. He said: "All the eight arrested members of the gang are Pakistanis".

However, the interior minister had said at the press conference that the eight were of Central Asian origin. The information minister said the arrested terrorists belonged to various parts of the country. However, he was reluctant to say anything about their identity.

Sheikh Rashid said that the security agencies had also recovered a big haul of arms and ammunition from the terrorists; some of the arms had been used in the Thursday's attack on the Karachi corps commander's convoy. According to a BBC report, Mr Hayat said the arrest marked a 'big dent' in Al Qaeda.

He said the eight people arrested in Karachi besides Aroochi had been trained in South Waziristan and had 'a direct link to Al Qaeda'. They had confessed 'to a key role in the attack' on the corps commander, he said.

He described the eight as 'Central Asians', reportedly adding that they included both Uzbeks and Chechens. "The arrest of the gang is a phenomenal breakthrough for us," the minister said.

Our Staff Reporter in Karachi adds: At a late-night press conference held in Karachi, Sindh police chief Syed Kamal Shah said that those arrested included the gang's ring leader Ataur Rehman, alias Ibrahim, alias Tahir.

The second in command was Shehzad Ahmed and other members arrested were Yaqoob Saeed alias Roomi, Kashif Abdullah alias Uzair, Shoaib Siddiqui alias Usman, Danish Imran alias Shami, Najeebullah alias Atif, and Khurram Saifullah alias Anas. They were arrested in Al-Falah and Model Colony on the lead provided by security agencies, the police chief said.

"They (suspects) were involved in bomb explosions at the Bible Society on Jan 15; Golf Club on April 11; PACC on May 26; attack on Rangers on March 19; attack on Gulistan-i-Jauhar police station on April 4; and attack on corps commander on June 10," he added.

Mr Shah said two LMG, two G-3 rifles, 12 Kalashnikovs, two 303 rifles, five pistols, six grenades, 15 detonators and thousands of rounds of bullets were recovered from them.

The weaponry included the rifles and guns snatched during attacks on police and the corps commander's convoy. "We have also picked up Masoob Aroochi, a foreigner in a raid in Jauharabad. He might have links with Al Qaeda and is being interrogated," he added.