Arrest of four terrorists triggers major operation

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: Security agencies were busy rounding up wanted terrorists who have infiltrated into the federal capital after a major breakthrough in which four of them were arrested Thursday evening.

A major joint operation was launched by sensitive agencies and the Islamabad police, while a high-level emergency meeting was summoned to chalk out the strategy to hunt down other collaborators, based on the information obtained through interrogations.

The arrests and the joint operation have also raised fears that in desperation the units of local and foreign terrorists, ready to hit their targets in the federal capital, may strike on Friday. Key officers of sensitive agencies, the Islamabad police and the FIA attended a late night meeting which continued well into late hours.

In a possible related development, the US embassy in Islamabad issued an urgent advisory on Thursday, asking all US citizens to stay indoors on Friday, unless absolutely necessary. These citizens were asked to avoid public places and crowded areas as they may be targeted by terrorists and suicide bombers.

The four arrested terrorists were taken for interrogation and immediately after they started to reveal some information, more raids were conducted by the security agencies. Sources indicated the terrorists belonged to the Baitullah Mehsud group and had entered Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore along with 20 Uzbeks to execute a terrorist plan, including targeting the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. They were said to be involved in the Special Branch and the FC Camp suicide attacks. “The suicide bombers might also hit different targets,” sources added.

“Certainly, they were among those nine terrorists who left North Waziristan in March along with at least 20 Uzbeks,” sources claimed. “The major task for the law enforcement agencies is to hunt down the remaining terrorists and search out Uzbeks divided in groups, with each group assigned an independent attack plan,” sources disclosed.

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