Police foil suicide blast at shrine and catch 2 bombers

FAISALABAD: Local police claimed to foil a major terrorist attempt after police officials arrested two would-be suicide bombers and recovered explosive materials from their possession on Tuesday.

Both accused were caught roaming around the Baba Qayyum Sayeen Darbar in the vicinity of Ghulam Muhammadabad.

Police officials confirmed that two suspects were roaming around the shrine, when they were intercepted by a joint team of police and secret agencies.  “We recovered suicide jackets and explosive materials from them,” said police superintendent Qasim. The arrested men were immediately shifted to an unknown location for interrogation.

Police said they had arrested Asmatullah, 17, a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan and his accomplice Rehman, 14, from Bannu. Police officials said that they had been tipped off to the boys’ location by arrested terrorist Usman Ghani, involved in the March 8 bomb blast in Faisalabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2011.