Tariq Saeed
Peshawar
Security forces Friday claimed to have averted major attempt to play havoc in Peshawar on the eve of Christmas. The forces arrested four terrorists, including the key commander of a banned outfit Lashkar-e-Islam besides seizing suicide jackets and Improvised explosives Devices from their possession. “The miscreants were planning a major terror attack in Peshawar on December 25, which is Christmas Day and Quaid-i-Azam Day,” security officials said. Later, eight facilitators of the miscreants were also netted from the outskirts of the provincial metropolis
Reports said the security forces and police in a joint action raided a house in Sipah area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district Thursday late night and arrested the four terrorists, one of whom was identified as Zakir Afridi, a commander of Lashkar-e-Islam.
Three suicide jackets and six Improvised Explosive Devices were also seized from the possession of the terrorists who were planning hit targets on the occasions of Christmas and Quaid-i-Azam Day celebrations.
Lashkar-e-Islam, it may be recalled, is a banned militant organization and remained active in and around Peshawar’s Khyber district upto sometimes back. It was founded in 2004 by one Mufti Munir Shakir.
Sources said thorough investigations from the arrested culprits led to another search operation conducted in Badhber village, from where eight facilitators of the terrorists were arrested. The terrorists and their facilitators have been shifted to an undisclosed location for further interrogation, the security forces said adding that might lead to arresting more miscreants and saboteurs.
