10 terrorists arrested in Pakistan's Punjab, police claim major attack foiled

Lahore: A major terror attack was foiled with the arrest of two “most dangerous” terrorists of the TTP among the 10 arrested by Pakistan's Punjab police, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Saturday.

A major terror plan in Punjab was foiled with the arrest of 10 terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during operations in different areas of the province in the last couple of days, a CTD spokesperson said.

“Two most dangerous terrorists of TTP have been arrested from Khushab and Rawalpindi along with explosives. They are identified as Riaz and Rashid,” he said.

The CTD Punjab conducted a total 73 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province in which 10 terrorists were arrested along with weapons and explosives, he added.

A total of 2.69 kilograms of explosives, 19 detonators, 35 feet of safety fuse wire, one IED bomb and banned literature were recovered from the possession of the terrorists.

“The terrorists had planned to target important buildings in Lahore,” the spokesperson said and added cases have been registered against those arrested and further investigation is being carried out.

The law enforcement agencies have intensified operation against the TTP following a number of terror attacks especially on security forces by it.

The CTD had on March 1 said 20 terrorists, including a Sikh, allegedly belonging to TTP were arrested in Punjab province as the law enforcement authorities foiled a major terrorist threat during 162 intelligence-based operations in different areas of Punjab in a week prior to it.

“Three extremely dangerous members of TTP - Manmohan Singh, Naqeebullah and Riyaz - have been arrested from Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Rahim Yar Khan, respectively,” the CTD statement said.