Punjab CTD Claims Arrest of 18 Militants in Major Crackdown

Major CTD Operation Across Punjab: 18 Suspected Militants Linked to Banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba Among Those Arrested

Shiite News: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab claims to have arrested 18 suspected militants linked to the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, banned Sipah-e-Sahaba and other banned organizations during 117 intelligence-based operations conducted in various districts across the province this week.

According to the CTD, explosives, detonators, weapons, prohibited literature, mobile phones and cash were recovered from the suspects. The Punjab CTD spokesperson said the operations were carried out to prevent potential acts of terrorism and maintain law and order in the province.

The arrested suspects reportedly belong to Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Bhakkar, Lahore and Multan. According to the CTD, the recoveries included 3,185 grams of explosive material, eight detonators, 13.1 feet of safety fuse, 4.5 feet of Prima cord, four pistols with 21 rounds of ammunition, 13 books, 23 prohibited magazines, 65 pamphlets, 84 stickers, seven mobile phones and Rs42,740 in cash.

The CTD further said that during the past two weeks, 3,357 combing operations were conducted across Punjab in coordination with local police and other law-enforcement agencies. During these operations, 121,000 people were checked, 274 people were arrested and 263 cases were registered. Anti-drone units and advanced anti-drone systems have also been established in all districts of the province to further strengthen security against terrorism.