Police arrest five 'Al Qaeda militants' in Gujranwala

'Group was running media operations for Indian subcontinent, sending funds to leadership in Afghanistan'

LAHORE: Punjab police have arrested five suspected Al Qaeda militants planning an attack on security personnel, said officials on Friday.

The raid in Gujranwala city hit an important media cell and financing network for the militants, Punjab’s counter-terrorism department said.

Laptops with encrypted data, cellphones, a printing press, explosives, five Kalashnikov rifles, ammunition and cash were found during the raid.

For years militants have held sway in remote northwestern regions on the Afghan border but some have also established networks in Punjab.

“They were planning attack on law enforcement officials in Gujranwala,” the police said, without giving more details on the plot.

The Gujranwala group recently relocated from Karachi and was running Al Qaeda’s media operations for the Indian subcontinent and sending funds to central leadership in Afghanistan, it added.

The security official says the number of militants in the country has decreased significantly due to an army crackdown.