SARGODHA, Dec 9 Security agencies picked up here on Wednesday six people, three foreigners among them, for their alleged links with banned religious outfit Jaish-i-Muhammad and for planning a terrorist attack.

Among the suspects were two Egyptians, one Yemeni, two Pakistani-Americans and a local.

According to sources, five men were arrested during a raid on the house of one of the suspects in Aziz Bhatti Town. Two computers and some jihadi literature were seized.

An employee of the highways department, identified as Fahim, was picked up from his office. The Pakistani-Americans were identified as Omer Farooq and Waqar.

Agencies add A police officer said three of the men were of Pakistani descent, one was of Egyptian descent and the other of Yemeni origin. Another officer said that a Swede was among those arrested.

Regional police chief Mian Javed Islam said the men were between the ages of 18 and 20 and had spent the past few days in the city. “They are being questioned and it is premature to say whether they are involved in or planned any act of terror,” he added.

But two US officials familiar with the case said the five arrested were believed to be young men from the Washington area who went missing at the end of last month. According to them, the FBI had been searching for the men since their families reported them missing and expressed fears they may have gone to Pakistan.

One of them was a student at Howard University, according to the US officials. They said one of the men left behind what investigators believed was a video message in which he spoke about defending Muslims and showed images of US casualties.

Police said they had received reports that the group was probably plotting attacks in Pakistan.

A spokesman for the US embassy said he was aware of reports of the arrest, but had not received any information from Pakistani officials.