FBI, 40 US commandoes in hot pursuit in Lahore in provincial capital of Punjab.....kill Alqaeda members and arrest 50 terrorists..this is an unprecendented display of US- Pakistani co-operation at new scale, this action was carried out in the heart of the country in the second largest city of Pakistan, an eye opener for the terrorists , no more safe havens, retribution to the Church and Pearl murder.Jawans of Elite Force, Lahore and Islamabad police and the intelligence wing of CID were accompanying the FBI agents. "Two Americans, equipped with various gadgets, were leading two teams of 20 local cops, while Punjab Constabulary's battalions were also included in the operation," sources confided.
All the arrested people had been residing with their families since long, but had no relations with the neighbours, the sources said and added that at least 40 US commandoes took part in the crackdown.
FBI, US commandoes, CID, Punjab police, Elite Force take part in operation; three cops wounded; manhunt in Lahore; 42 foreigners among 50 terrorists arrested
Two suspected Al-Qaeda men were killed, while three others and as many cops were wounded in a crackdown in faisalabad Thursday, when the police, along with CID personnel and US commandoes, conducted a province-wide clamp down on various hideouts of the people allegedly associated with terrorist outfits.
More then 50 people, 42 of them foreigners from different countries, were also arrested in the crackdown, sources said. Though the cities of Lahore and Faisalabad are the focus of the swoop, drastic action has also been initiated in other cities. In Multan the crackdown was in full progress, they added.
Sources in a Pakistani intelligence network confided to The News that the overall situation was under discussion at Governor's House. The crackdown was initially launched at five different places in Faisalabad and raids were carried out at Samanabad, Muslim Town, Sidhupura and Canal Road in the Faisal Town.
The suspected terrorists at a Faisal Town house attacked the personal of different agencies with daggers, sources said. "The main gate and the walls of the house had been covered with a network of live electric wires. The raiding party cut the wires and entered the house.
"Twelve people in the house were asked to surrender. They were being frisked when some of them suddenly attacked the raiders with daggers, leaving three cops seriously wounded," sources said.
The cops retaliated injuring four suspected Al-Qaeda men. The injured were taken to the Allied Hospital, where two expired. The injured cops included Rana Mubashir and Muhammad Iqbal of the Elite Force. The two Al-Qaeda men, who died in the hospital were identified as Abul Hasnat and Dawood Abdullah," an officer said requesting anonymity.
Sources said at least 26 people had been arrested in Faisalbad, while the other arrests were made from different areas in Lahore including a Madrisa in Faisal Town. The other injured were on critical list, the mediamen, who were not allowed to enter the Allied Hospital, learnt from sources.
The raiding party continued operation for three hours and recovered computers, books, CDs and a large number of arms. Five people were arrested from a hideout in Samnabad, one from Muslim Town, and six from Sadhupura.
Jawans of Elite Force, Lahore and Islamabad police and the intelligence wing of CID were accompanying the FBI agents. "Two Americans, equipped with various gadgets, were leading two teams of 20 local cops, while Punjab Constabulary's battalions were also included in the operation," sources confided.
All the arrested people had been residing with their families since long, but had no relations with the neighbours, the sources said and added that at least 40 US commandoes took part in the crackdown.
People's Colony Police Station was the centre of the operation and only the foreign media was allowed to cover the clampdown. Sources said most of the arrested people were Egyptians and Afghanis who had been under surveillance for the last three months. "The tight surveillance paid off," they said.
Punjab Police Chief Malik Asif Hayat's spokesman said Punjab police raided at different places in Faisalabad and Lahore and arrested a large number of sectarian terrorists. "During a raid, some terrorists attacked the police as a result one terrorist was killed and his two companions were wounded. A policeman was also critically wounded," the spokesman said.
A source in another intelligence agency told The News that army troops had been asked to stay in Lahore till further orders, as their withdrawal was expected by the end of Muharram 10th.
The personnel of an intelligence agency said the arrested accused would be interrogated by the FBI personnel and the local agencies would deal with them later on. "During the phase-wise investigation, more information is expected," he said.
Provided by an official requesting anonymity, the initial report of another intelligence agency read, "At 2:00am, four to five police parties along with American Marines and other foreigners conducted a raid at a Faisal Town house near Allah Rakhi Hospital. The raid was aimed to arrest some suspected Al-Qaida men. Four people died during the operation, while three to four people were caught. Apart from it, two to three cops including one Shabbir were injured and admitted to the Allied Hospital. No names were available till this report was sent to your office by the undersigned." Punjab authorities were not available to confirm these details, in spite of many attempts to contact them.
Reported by Sajjad Shafiq... |
