12 terror suspects detained in Punjab

Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab arrested 12 terror suspects belonging to banned outfits during operations across the province on Saturday.

According to a CTD spokesman, the Department conducted 54 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in different districts across the province to effectively deal with any untoward incidents of terrorism, where 56 suspicious persons were interrogated and 12 terror suspects were arrested with weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials.

Among the arrested suspects are 9 members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, identified as Adeel Arshad, Habib-ur-Rehman, Mir Ahmed Saddam, Muzain, Haroon Tasawar, Zia-ul-Haq Rukti, Abdul Jabbar, Abdul Rehman and Imran Khan; 2 members of Sepah Sahaba Pakistan named Muhammad Mudassar Naseer and Abdul Farooq and a member of ISIS named Muhammad Umar, the spokesman added.

CTD teams had seized 4.03kgs of explosive material, one explosive vest, one hand grenade, 8 detonators, 12 feet of safety fuse wire, 9.28 feet of primer cord, 4 pistols, 20 rounds, 4 prohibited books, 5 magazines, 60 pamphlets, 67 stickers of banned organization and 3 flags of a banned organization, 2 mobile phones and Rs28,960 in cash during the raids.

The spokesman said that the suspects had planned acts of sabotage across the province and were targeting important installations and religious sites.

Police registered 10 cases against the arrested suspects in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, DG Khan, Gujranwala, Multan and Bahawalpur, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2023.