KARACHI, Sept 21: Police said on Saturday they had arrested another five alleged activists of the Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Almi, bringing the total number of arrested activists to 22.

Three activists were arrested on Friday and the other two on Saturday.

Police claimed to have recovered automatic weapons, detonators, fuse used in making bombs besides literature and audio-cassettes preaching sectarian hatred.

A spokesman for the Sindh police in a statement said the arrested activists were members of the same organization which was involved in the bomb explosions at the US consulate and attacks on policemen and McDonald and KFC restaurants.

The Crime Investigation Department arrested Mohammed Iqbal, Waseem Haider alias Hamza, Mohammed Wakeel and Abdul Zaheer for allegedly keeping illegal weapons. Arsalan Masood was arrested by the Kalakot police for possessing a TT pistol and several rounds.

The Mominabad police recovered 97 improvised electrical detonators, 90 electrical detonators, 95 non-electrical detonators, 20 rocket motor, 10 fuse artillery shell of high explosives, two electrical circuit switches with safety ring, battery and timer, seven wristwatches with 9v battery and leads, one remote circuit with volt and condenser, 78 integrated circuit (I/Cs) diode thrusters and transistors, and 38 cartridges of 7.62 Chinese rifle HMG.

However, the spokesman did not disclose whether the arms and technical devices were recovered on a lead given by the arrested suspects, or these were found abandoned in Mominabad and about which secret information was provided.

A court in Karachi remanded Sharib and the six others in police custody till Oct 2. The three arrested on Friday were remanded till next Wednesday, adds Reuters.

Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider told Reuters on Saturday Sharib had denied involvement in the killing of the Frenchmen, who were working on a project to supply Pakistan with a submarine.

Mr Haider said it was unclear who had financed the Al-Almi attacks, but suggested it might have been India in an attempt to destabilize its nuclear rival.