ISLAMABAD – Pakistani law enforcement agencies on Friday claimed to havebusted the “biggest” Taliban network in the eastern Punjab province withthe arrest of six militants, including a suicide bomber, according to mediareports.
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants had carried out deadlysuicide attacks on army personnel on Bedian Road in July and on policemennear Ferozepur Road in April 2017, Dawn news reported citing aCounter-Terrorism Department official.
The militants were sent by the TTP leadership from a madrassa on FerozepurRoad to hit the targets, the report said.
Most of the arrests were made by CTD and Intelligence Bureau officials injoint operations in Lahore and Gujranwala.
The Express Tribune reported that a suicide bomber was among the militantsarrested.
The militants had plotted to attack Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches butwere not successful, it said adding that they have been shifted to anundisclosed location for interrogation shortly after the arrest.
The law enforcement agencies termed it a big breakthrough.
An unnamed official told Dawn news that the militants made several stunningrevelations. He told the publication that the TTP men had killed aBrigadier-level officer of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and hisbrother in Sargodha in 2004.
The militants were identified as Islamul Haq, Jehangir Shah, Imran aliasIran of Shangla, Swat, Waqarul Amin alias Qari of Haripur, KhyberPakhtunkhwa, Aleemur Rehman of Kasur and Muhammad Luqman of Narowal.
CTD officials recovered a list of potential targets the TTP had aimed tohit in Punjab, including political leaders and places of worship, the Dawnreport said.
Joint CTD-IB teams were conducting raids across Punjab province to arrestthe remaining militants of the network.