Pakistan Foils Major Terror Attacks
June 24, 2009 by national
Filed under World Report
Pakistani police today claimed to have foiled terror attacks in major cities across the country, including on parliament here, with the arrest of 25 “significant terrorists”, including at least two would-be suicide bombers.
Interior minister Mr Rehman Malik said one of the two would-be suicide bombers had plans to target the parliament house. The other bomber had plans to strike at the office of an intelligence agency, he said.
Police said the arrested suspects were planning attacks in major cities across the country. Inspector general of police Syed Kaleem Imam described the arrested persons as “significant terrorists”. Six of them were “high value targets” wanted by authorities for killing law enforcement personnel in Swat and carrying out bomb attacks, he said. The arrests had helped foil attacks and subversive activities in Karachi and Lahore.
Some of the terrorists hailed from Swat and South Waziristan tribal agency while some had links to the radical Lal Masjid in Islamabad, Mr Imam said.
The terrorists, who were arrested with the help of intelligence agencies, planned to target law enforcement agencies, vital installations and foreign dignitaries. Suicide jackets and explosives had been found in their possession, Mr Imam said.
