Attack thwarted: Man, son apprehended with explosives

Two explosive-laden jackets along with a heavy cache of explosives also recovered from house.

MARDAN: Law enforcement agencies arrested two suspected militants and seized explosives from their possession in Mardan late Saturday night. An official of the security forces said heavy contingents of police and security forces raided a house in Gujar Garhi based on intelligence reports and arrested the suspected militants, identified as Faiz and his son Zakirullah. Two explosive-laden jackets along with a heavy cache of explosives were also recovered from the house. Both suspects have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation. The official said the suspects revealed during initial investigation that they were trying to carry out separate suicide attacks on the army’s Punjab Regiment Centre and Saddar police station. Further investigation is under way to ascertain whether the suspects were working alone or are part of a bigger nexus, the official shared.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2014.