Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has arrested nine alleged terrorists belonging to banned outfits during intelligence-based operations.
According to the spokesman, the CTD Punjab conducted 21 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province to effectively deal with any untoward incident of terrorism, in which 23 suspected persons were interrogated and nine alleged terrorists were arrested with weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials. The arrested terrorists include Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan members Muhammad Tayyab, Sher Muhammad, and Tahir Mehmood, Lashkar Jhangvi members including Abdul Rashid Ghazi, Nazir Ahmed, Muhammad Fahad, Ashd, Muhammad Usman, and Rehan, he added.
The spokesperson said that explosives of 2,481 grams, safety fuse wire 24 feet, detonators 15, one pistol 30 bore with bullets, 3 books of a banned organization, 2 magazines, 8 stickers, 1 mobile phone, and 14,120 rupees in cash have been recovered from them. He said that the terrorists had planned to sabotage peace across the province and wanted to target important installations and other religious places. The police have registered 5 cases against the arrested alleged terrorists in Sargodha, Rawalpindi, and Gujranwala and shifted them to an unknown location, he added.
The spokesperson added that 340 combing operations were conducted during this week with the help of local police and security agencies. During these combing operations, 15,558 persons were checked, 41 suspects were arrested and 33 FIRs were registered and 26 recoveries were made. The Counter Terrorism Department Punjab is diligently pursuing its goal of a safe Punjab and no stone would be left unturned in its efforts to bring terrorists and anti-state elements behind bars, he concluded.
