Lahore: The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) have arrested 21 alleged terrorists of banned militant outfits during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in several cities of the province.
The CTD said in a statement issued on Saturday that it personnel had conducted 135 operations in the province, during which it interrogated 135 suspects and arrested 21 alleged militants — who purportedly intended to carry out terrorism activities and fan sectarian tensions.
The arrested men were from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Sapiah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Daesh and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, among other banned militant groups.
The CTD said the IBOs for the arrests were conducted in Lahore, Narowal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Muzaffargarh, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Attock, and Sahiwal.
It added that 5,118 grams of explosives, two hand grenades, as many improvised explosive devices, 30 detonators, 77.3-feet-long safety fuse wires, 6.3 feet of prima chords, a 30 bore pistol, a 9mm pistol along with 13 bullets, 13 books containing literature of banned militant groups, three magazines, 82 pamphlets, 27 flags, a receipt book and cash worth Rs113,740 were seized from the arrested men.