Terrorists killed in Pak raid belonged to al-Qaeda

Lahore: Four terrorists, killed in a raid by Pakistani counter-terrorism commandos, were members of the al-Qaeda and were looking to target a political personality and an office of an intelligence agency, officials said today.

Elite Force commandos on a tip off from intelligence agencies raided a house in Sheikhupura district some 60 kilometers from here yesterday and killed three terrorists while one blew himself up. Two terrorists also suffered bullet injuries and were captured alive.

"The terrorists killed belonged to Al-Qaeda. Its Punjab chapter head has been identified as Abdali who hails from Muridke. They had come from North Waziristan to target a political personality and an office of the intelligence agency (Intelligence Bureau) in Lahore," a senior police officer said.

Earlier reports had said that the militants killed were members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The officer said the terrorists had brought the arms packed in fruit containers from Waziristan. Three suicide jackets, one rocket launcher, five kalashnikovs, scores of bullets and maps of sensitive and important places were recovered from the under-construction house they were living.

Punjab Home Department Minister Col (Retd) Shuja Khanzada said the terrorists were planning to attack sensitive installations and important buildings but the security agencies foiled their attempt by promptly acting on intelligence reports. He said that action against terrorists would be continued by law-enforcement agencies under the National Action Plan (NAP) and security forces have already captured 75 terrorists in Punjab and their cases had been sent to the courts.

Khanzada said there were 1,344 fourth schedulers in Punjab and under the NAP some 716 were arrested for the eradication of terrorism and sectarianism from the country. He said security agencies were keeping a vigilant eye on all educational institutions and non-government organisations.