Pakistan’s Punjab police thwart major terror attack, arrests nine suspected ISIS terrorists

Law enforcement agencies have arrested nine suspected terrorists of ISIS and anti-Shia organizations in the Punjab province of Pakistan and foiled a major terror attack targeting important installations and religious places, police said on Sep 14.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police claimed that it conducted 71 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province during which the nine terrorists were arrested with weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials.

A spokesman for the CTD said the arrest of the nine terrorists belonging to ISIS (Daesh) and anti-Shia organizations — Sipah Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) from different areas of the province during this week were carried out during the intelligence-based operations in Rahim Yar Khan, Okara, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Mianwali.

The terrorists had planned to sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations and other religious places.

A total of 4.8 kg explosives, two hand grenades, two IED bombs, 26 detonators, four pistols, bullets, and banned literature were recovered from their possession, the spokesperson said.

The police have registered nine cases against the arrested terrorists and shifted them to an unknown location for further investigation.

(PTI)