PESHAWAR, Aug 16: An attack planned to disrupt Independence Day celebrations was thwarted earlier this week when police seized a cache of grenades and other explosives, police said on Friday.

Police Superintendent S.P. Karak said the explosives had been seized just before midnight Aug 13 from a vehicle at Latambar, 160km from Islamabad.

“We recovered four mortar rounds, three hand grenades, 10kg of explosives and four face masks,” he told AFP, adding the vehicle had been stopped and searched at a police checkpoint as it travelled to Peshawar.

He said the driver of the vehicle admitted under interrogation that he was carrying the explosives for the purpose of sabotage in Peshawar and Islamabad on Aug 14.