23 terrorists planning to hit top educational institution in Lahore arrested
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As many as 23 terrorists who were planning to attack a top educational institution in Lahore were arrested in an intelligence-based operation conducted jointly across Punjab by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
A CTD spokesman said on Wednesday that the joint operation was conducted in Lahore, Jhelum, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Mianwali, Sargodha and Faisalabad.
Seven hardcore Fitna Al-Khwarij terrorists were arrested in Lahore operation. The CTD personnel seized arms, explosives and maps of an important educational institution from the arrested terrorists.
The CTD operators also recovered four improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 33 detonators, protective fuse cable (75 feet), pamphlets and cash from the possession of the nabbed terrorists.
Some of the arrested terrorists were identified as Abdur Razzaq, Muhammad Ismail, Wajahat Ali, Yousuf Raza, Naseemullah, Nazarallah, Abu Bakar, Tariq, Naseem Zaman and Shahid Nawaz.
The CTD officials confided to the media men that these terrorists were planning to spread terror among public by carrying out militant activities at different places.
During the prevailing week, the CTD officials said 1,033 suspects were arrested in 9,471 combing operations, during which 21,708 people were quizzed.
A day earlier 24News TV channel reported that an online recruitment campaign by the terror network Fitna Al-Khwarij targeting Punjab’s youth has been uncovered, leading to a successful crackdown by law-enforcement agencies.
The authorities busted the network after cyber patrolling and intelligence-based operations and arrested six youth.
The TV channel reported that the six facilitators (of terrorists), aged between 16 and 23, were arrested in connection with the recruitment campaign.
These individuals were recruited from major cities, including Gujranwala, Lahore, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Jhelum, and Sargodha, for local facilitation.
Cybercrime authorities revealed that their intensified cyber patrolling helped identify the algorithms and methods used to reach out to media consumers for recruitment.
The details of the campaign and arrests have been forwarded to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for further action.
The authorities also stated that monitoring of anti-state elements online has been accelerated, ensuring quicker identification and disruption of such networks in the future.
Reporter Irfan Malik