LAHORE: Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and intelligence agencies claimed on Friday to have arrested 29 suspected terrorists in a joint search operation in Faisalabad and Gujranwala under the Operation Raddul Fasaad.

According to a news release, 26 of the suspects were arrested in Faisalabad for facilitating the militants. The law enforcement agencies recovered 50 illegal weapons also from their possession. The officials claimed the weapons were likely to be used for terrorist activities on Eidul Fitr. The suspects were shifted to undisclosed locations for interrogation.

In another raid, the CTD claimed to have arrested three members of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LeJ) from Gujranwala.

A CTD spokesman said they had got a tip-off that the suspected terrorists, belonging to the LeJ, were present in Model Town Park, GT Road, and they were planning to attack sensitive installations. He said a CTD team raided the place and arrested Samiullah, Yousaf Tariq and Mansoor Ahmed and recovered 11,357grams of explosives, one pipe bomb, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), one suicide jacket, one cooler bomb, two remote controls for detonation of jackets, three detonators and 61 inch primacord from their possession.

A case was registered against the suspects with the Gujranwala CTD Police Station and they were shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation.

BAHAWALPUR: The CTD claimed to have foiled an attempt to carry out a terrorist activity and arrested a terror suspect from the Jail Road.

According to a CTD spokesman, the department received a tip-off that a terror suspect, identified as Nadeem Iqbal, was present at a place near the radio station and he was planning some terrorist activity. The CTD personnel raided the place and arrested Iqbal.

The official said Iqbal, belonging to the LeJ, was a proclaimed offender. The raiding team recovered 2.5kg explosives, ball bearings, cover of suicide jacket, a time device and primacord from the suspect.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017