Terror averted: Alleged militant arrested

Ammunitions seized from house in Mansehra

MANSEHRA: Explosive material that was likely to be used for terrorist activity in the district was seized by police and intelligence agency officials in a joint raid on Tuesday. Seven IEDs planted in stationery boxes were also found.

Mansehra DSP Zulfiqar Jadoon told journalists one alleged militant has been taken into custody and he is suspected to be a member of a banned outfit.

DSP said they got a tip-off and raided a house in Swatiabad, Bherkund and seized seven IEDs planted in the same number of geometry boxes; two locally-made bombs; two hand grenades; three kilogrammes of raw explosive material, ball bearings; six non-electric and one electric detonator; a suicide jacket, two submachine guns with magazines; bullets and a dagger.

A bomb disposal unit officer said all the bombs, IEDs and the suicide jacket were neutralised. He added the IEDs in geometry boxes were kept in a house surrounded by three private schools.

He stipulated the accused were planning to either target school children or plant the explosives on a roadside.

The suicide jacket, added the personnel, was filled with enough explosives to could kill over 100 people.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2015.