ISLAMABAD, May 24: Pakistani security forces have arrested an Egyptian and another foreigner suspected of links to Al Qaeda, the information minister said on Tuesday. The suspects were arrested on Monday near Charsadda, in North West Frontier Province near the border with Afghanistan and about 140 km northwest of Islamabad.

“They are both foreigners,” Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told Reuters. He said the identity of the suspects was being established but it appeared that neither was a senior figure in Osama bin Laden’s network.

An intelligence official said one of the suspects had identified himself as Ahmed and said he came from Egypt. “He is in his 60s and has been living in the area for about two years,” the official said, on condition of anonymity. Sheikh Rashid said the two were among up to eight foreign suspects rounded up since Liby’s arrest.

Pakistan has arrested hundreds of al Qaeda suspects and handed many of them over to the United States since joining the US-led war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, attacks.—Reuters