Pakistan arrests 5 Al Qaeda-linked militants "planning attacks"
8 April 2009
KARACHI Pakistani police have arrested five men belonging to an al Qaeda-linked militant group who were planning to attack government offices and the security forces in the city of Karachi, police said on Wednesday.
A surge in militant violence across Pakistan is reviving Western fears about prospects for the nuclear-armed U.S. ally, which is crucial to U.S. efforts to bring stability to neighboring Afghanistan.
The militants, belonging to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group, were arrested in a raid on Tuesday night when police also recovered weapons and ammunition, Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed told a news conference.
"They were planning to target seven government offices in Karachi including the office of the home (interior) minister and the police head office," Ahmed said.
Karachi is Pakistan's commercial center and home to its biggest port and financial markets. Stock market dealers say while investors are growing used to militant violence, an attack in Karachi would have an impact on investor confidence.
The Sunni Muslim LeJ is one of Pakistan's most notorious al Qaeda-linked groups that began by targeting minority Shi'ite Muslims.
It later graduated to more audacious attacks, such as the truck bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel in September last year in which 55 people were killed, the government says.
Ahmed said the suspects were also plotting attacks on intelligence agencies, mosques and Shi'ite religious centers, suppliers who ship goods to Western forces in Afghanistan and security personnel involved in anti-terrorist operations.
The suspects had previously carried out attacks on security personnel in the country's troubled ethnic Pashtun northwest, Ahmed said.
Source: Reuters
8 April 2009
KARACHI Pakistani police have arrested five men belonging to an al Qaeda-linked militant group who were planning to attack government offices and the security forces in the city of Karachi, police said on Wednesday.
A surge in militant violence across Pakistan is reviving Western fears about prospects for the nuclear-armed U.S. ally, which is crucial to U.S. efforts to bring stability to neighboring Afghanistan.
The militants, belonging to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group, were arrested in a raid on Tuesday night when police also recovered weapons and ammunition, Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed told a news conference.
"They were planning to target seven government offices in Karachi including the office of the home (interior) minister and the police head office," Ahmed said.
Karachi is Pakistan's commercial center and home to its biggest port and financial markets. Stock market dealers say while investors are growing used to militant violence, an attack in Karachi would have an impact on investor confidence.
The Sunni Muslim LeJ is one of Pakistan's most notorious al Qaeda-linked groups that began by targeting minority Shi'ite Muslims.
It later graduated to more audacious attacks, such as the truck bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel in September last year in which 55 people were killed, the government says.
Ahmed said the suspects were also plotting attacks on intelligence agencies, mosques and Shi'ite religious centers, suppliers who ship goods to Western forces in Afghanistan and security personnel involved in anti-terrorist operations.
The suspects had previously carried out attacks on security personnel in the country's troubled ethnic Pashtun northwest, Ahmed said.
Source: Reuters
