ISLAMABAD, March 1: A joint team of police and intelligence agencies has busted a terrorist group comprising members of the banned Therik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and some Afghan nationals, seizing 16kg of explosives, a rocket launcher and pistols.

According to police sources, the group comprising 13 men from Parachinar, Bajaur and Afghanistan includes the mastermind and facilitators and efforts were under way to trace and their accomplices who were in the federal capital or likely to arrive there.

The group had planned a terrorist attack on the Parliament House during a session, the sources said.

Intelligence agencies and police got information in mid-February that the group's members were coming to Islamabad and Rawalpindi and would scatter in different localities.

In the third week of last month, the law-enforcement agencies intercepted their phone calls and traced their location at Khana Bridge. A raid was conducted immediately and nine people were held -- Mohammad Zaka Kabli, Gul Shan, Humit Jan, Ustand Zinda, Ziaullah, Raheem Jan, Murad Afghani, Gul Zammen and Ubaid from Bajaur and Afghanistan.

During interrogation, they divulged that four more members of the group were due in the capital.

The agencies and police mounted intelligence in and around the city, resulting in the arrest in G-9 sector of Arshad, a key member of TTP's Parachinar chapter and a close aide of the militants' area 'commander'.

The sources aid Arshad was the mastermind of the planned attack and the explosives, rocket launcher and a pistol had been seized from him.

Later Zia, Gul Nabi and Hashim Khan were arrested. They were facilitators of the group and responsible for providing vehicles and other supplies.

APP adds: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Tuesday that the law-enforcement agencies had arrested a high-profile terrorist who wanted to hit Islamabad by rockets from the Margalla Hills.

He said the importance of the terrorist could be gauged from the fact that he was operating in different areas of the country, including the capital.

He said that the arrested terrorist might be described as a handler or operator because his record testified to his involvement in subversive activities.

The minister said that most members of the gang had been arrested while the remaining one or two would be apprehended soon.

He said the investigation was likely to reveal more facts about the gang and its activities. Mr Malik said there had been indications that some external powers wanted to destabilise the country.

He said security in Islamabad had been tightened after the arrests.