Pakistan terror suspects 'plotting suicide attacks against army'
Six Pakistani militants arrested last month, including an ex-army major, were “brainwashed” by radical clerics near the Afghan border and had been plotting suicide attacks against military targets, an intelligence chief said.
The six, one of whom is a retired army major with alleged links to al Qaida, were arrested in December in raids in different parts of eastern Punjab province. The arrests were only made public within the past week.
“These people were preparing for suicide attacks against the army,” the Pakistani official said.
“We found explosives, suicide belts and maps of military installations” in their hideouts.“
The suspects, who have yet to be charged, received training and religious instruction in tribal areas near the Afghan border, the official said. He said the suspects were “brainwashed” by clerics in the area.
“We learned from them that they wanted to attack the army to avenge the killings of fellow militants,” he said. “They were convinced that they would go to paradise after sacrificing their life.”
The detained men had been working under Ahsanul Haq, a retired major with alleged links to al Qaida.
:: The military says it has inflicted significant casualties on militants in fighting in the past few days in the border region, a rebel stronghold where top al Qaida and Taliban leaders are thought to find a haven.
The battles took place near a military camp in Ladha in South Waziristan in recent days, said army spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad.
“The militants suffered heavy casualties, but we cannot give any specific number on their dead,” he said.
