Eight militants, including those from Al-Qaeda, arrested in separate raids in Pakistan

Lahore: Eight suspected terrorists belonging to different terror outfits, including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), have been arrested in separate raids in Pakistan’s Punjab province. According to the counter terrorism department (CTD) of Punjab police, a police team, after receiving information about the presence of the militants, raided a football ground in Gulshan-e-Ravi, Lahore, on Thursday, and arrested two suspects. “They belong to al-Qaeda and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. They were planning to attack government buildings in Lahore,” the CTD said. [caption id=“attachment_2796232” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Pakistan police. AP[/caption] Some 800 gm explosive material, four-foot prima card and two electric circuit detonators have been recovered from the suspects. In another incident, CTD, in collaboration with the police, raided a house in Bahawalnagar district, some 400 kilometers from Lahore, arrested three suspected terrorists of banned outfits like Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The CTD said a team raided a house near a shrine and arrested three terrorists, seizing arms and ammunition from them. It said the arrested suspects were planning to attack the shrine. In a third incident, three alleged terrorists of Al-Qaeda and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan were arrested from Faisalabad and Ali Pur Chatha, some 200 kilometers from lahore. The CTD said police team raided a house on Sumundari Road, Faisalabad and arrested the suspects. Some 575 gms explosives, 9 feet 6 inches prima cord, eight electric circuit, detonators and extremist literature was recovered from them, they said.