Pakistan: Terror plot foiled, key Taliban commander among 7 held

Lahore, Feb 17 (PTI) Police in Pakistan's Punjab province on Saturday claimed to have foiled a major terror plot by arresting seven terrorists, including a key Taliban commander.

The spokesman for the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Pakistan's Punjab Police said that it conducted several intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province and arrested seven suspected terrorists with weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials.

He said that Husnain Moaviya, a key commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had been arrested in Bahawalpur, some 400kms from Lahore.

Other arrested militants belonged to banned organizations -- TTP, Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

One hand grenade, 3,048 grams of explosives, two improvised explosive devices, six detonators and banned literature have been recovered from them.

He said that the terrorists had planned to sabotage the province and wanted to target important installations in the cities from where they were arrested.

The police have registered seven cases against the terrorists and shifted them to an unknown location for further investigation. PTI