
A major terror attack was foiled in Pakistan's Punjab provincethis week as law enforcement agencies arrested 33 terrorists of various banned groups including Al-Qaeda, the news agency PTI reported on Saturday (Sep7) citing the police.
The police registered 32 cases against the terrorists and shifted them to an unknown location. PTI reported that a total of 475 intelligence-based operations were carried out by the Counter Terrorism Department(CTD) in different districts of Punjab this week.
The 33 terrorists were from Al-Qaeda, the 133 Brigade, the Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, the Lashkar Jhangvi, and the Tehreek Jafaria Pakistan. They were apprehendedwith weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials.
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Explosives, two hand grenades, two IED bombs, 26 detonators, safety fuse wire, four pistols, bullets, and banned literature were recovered from the possession of the terrorists, the CTD said.
These developments in Punjab come weeks afterseparatist militants launched deadly attacks in Balochistan in late August, killing more than 70 people. These attacks in Balochistan were the deadliest in two years.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of several separatist militant groups involved in the low-level insurgency for decades, claimed responsibility for the attacks.
(With inputs from agencies)