CHAKWAL, May 17: Police have arrested three alleged Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants for launching attacks on Nato tankers, DPO Syed Ali Mohsin said on Tuesday.

Four policemen were killed in their recent attack on a convoy of 22 Nato oil tankers in Pindigheb area. “They had also carried out attacks on Nato tankers in Sihala, Sangjani, Nowshehra and Tarnol,” the officer told a press conference here.

He said preliminary probe revealed that the arrested persons had planned to attack important installations also. Terming their arrest “a major breakthrough in the war against terrorism,” the DPO said they belonged to the TTP.

The three alleged militants were identified as Ali Imran, Shujaur Rahman, both master degree holders, and Hafiz Aizazur Rahman. “Imran is a law graduate while Shuja holds master degree in computer science,” the DPO said.

A resident of Jhatal village in Talagang tehsil, Imran is the son of Dr Hafeezur Rahman who belongs to Jhelum city. Shuja hails from Dina, a tehsil of Jhelum district.

DPO Mohsin said police were hunting for the Pindigheb attackers. “On Sunday night, policemen manning the Dhoke Pathan checkpost signaled a suspect vehicle to stop but it sped through with the men inside the vehicles blazing away their guns.”

Police in the area were alerted who spotted the vehicle near Peerwal village but the terrorists again escaped, using the same intimidatory tactic. “Police suffered no casualties and fired back at the terrorists who then vanished into the nearby jungle, abandoning their vehicle,” the officer said.

The ammunition and other material recovered from the car, the DPO said, “helped us to nab these three terrorists”.

On Tuesday the three militants were presented before the court of Civil Judge of Talagang Rana Shakeel Ahmad, who handed them over to police on 14 days remand. —A Correspondent