Pakistan foils 'Iraq-style' attacks

Police arrest five persons, having links with various outfits including Al-Qaeda and Taliban, plotting multiple attacks.

Pakistan on Friday claimed to have foiled attempts by militants to carry out attacks, including suicide bombings, here and in capital Islamabad by arresting five persons having links with various outfits including Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

HT Image

Three suicide bombers, belonging to Qari Zafar group which has links with Al-Qaeda, were arrested in the port city of Karachi following an encounter, foiling their plans to carry out "Iraq-style" attacks, mainly targeting senior officials.

In Islamabad, where security forces were on high alert following intelligence reports that four suicide bombers may try to penetrate into the capital to stage attacks with the help of a local link, two senior figures of Lashker-e-Jhangvi, a banned Sunni militant group with links to Al-Qaeda, have been arrested, officials said.

They said Rashid Mahmood Satti and Chita Usman were arrested in a raid on the outskirts of the capital.

Shahid, Farhan and Ghani were arrested in Karachi after a shootout at a house in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, one of the most populated areas of the city, Superintendent of Police (CID) Fayyaz Khan said.

Three jackets, used in carrying out suicide attacks, along with three bombs, two pistols, one Kalashnikov rifle and some grenades were recovered from their possession, Khan told reporters.