LAHORE: The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) announced that its operatives have arrested 21 alleged terrorists affiliated with banned militant groups. The individuals were reportedly detained during intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across various cities in the province.
The CTD stated that these suspects were purportedly planning to carry out acts of terrorism, including targeting important installations, and religious sites, and spreading sectarian tensions through hate material on social media. The detained individuals were associated with Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sapiah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, and Daesh, among others. The operations resulted in the seizure of explosives, weapons, literature, and other incriminating materials.
The CTD disclosed that a total of 135 operations were conducted. The operations led to the interrogation of 135 suspects, out of which 21 were arrested. The detainees were taken into custody from various cities, including Lahore, Narowal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Muzaffargarh, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Attock, and Sahiwal.
The seized items included explosives, hand grenades, improvised explosive devices, detonators, safety fuse wires, firearms, ammunition, literature associated with banned groups, pamphlets, flags, and cash. The detainees were reportedly moved to an undisclosed location for further investigation.
Separately, the Punjab CTD conducted 700 combing operations in collaboration with the police and security institutions during the past week. These efforts led to the examination of approximately 29,829 individuals and the arrest of 49 suspects. Additionally, 32 FIRs were registered and 21 individuals were successfully recovered.
The Punjab CTD’s operations in July also led to the apprehension of 17 militants associated with banned organizations. During the month of Muharram, the department conducted 132 IBOs with a specific focus on thwarting potential terrorist activities. These efforts aimed to safeguard Chinese nationals and places of worship.
