CTD arrests seven terrorists from different cities

LAHORE: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested seven terrorists during operations in different cities amid an ongoing crackdown against outlaws as the country sees an uptick in militancy.

A CTD spokesperson confirmed the arrests on Saturday, saying the held terrorists belonged to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and were planning to target vital installations in the country. 

He said that materials to make a suicide jacket, weapons and other ammunition were seized from the arrested terrorists. They were also separately booked in seven cases, he added.

Pakistan is grappling with a fresh wave of terrorism, that has claimed several lives after the proscribed TTP ended a ceasefire with Islamabad. However, the government is taking measures to deal with the challenge, with CTD and other security forces holding consecutive operations and increasing the pace of action to upend terror activities.

In the past three months, security forces have conducted at least 6,921 operations in their bid to defeat the menace of terrorism, sources told state-run news agency APP. During the operations, the forces killed 142 militants and arrested 1,007.

On Friday, the security forces gunned down a terrorist during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan's Awaran district, the military's media wing had said.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a statement released Friday, had said that the forces conducted the operation on a credible lead with regards to the presence of a hideout of terrorists involved in recent Improvised explosive device attacks in the area.

Following the report, a heliborne force was used to sanitise the area which "surprised the terrorists".

While a terrorist "was sent to hell" during the ensuing operation in an exchange of fire, a large cache of weapons and ammunition was also recovered, the statement read

The military's media wing had mentioned that security forces would continue to thwart any attempt by inimical elements to disrupt hard-earned peace in Balochistan.