Five terrorists gunned down in Layyah: CTD

LAYYAH: At least five alleged terrorists were gunned down by the personnel of counter-terrorism department in the wee hours of Sunday in Layyah.

According to CTD, three of their close associates managed to flee from the spot. The CTD personnel informed the press that immediate steps were being taken for their arrest, adding that a heavy cache of weapons and maps of sensitive sites were seized from them.

Authorities said the terrorists, who were affiliated with proscribed organisation Jamat-ul-Ahrar, wanted to target a sensitive religious site at Multan.

Earlier, at least 73 suspects were taken into custody by the law-enforcement authorities after joint raids of Police and counter-terrorism department on Monday, said sources.

A few Afghan nationals were also apprehended in the raid.

The sources further said a heavy cache of weapons was also recovered during the raid.

Meanwhile, in Lahore, CTD has claimed to gun down six terrorists at Chak 98 in Khanewal. According to a CTD spokesperson, acting on an information of presence of ten terrorists, the personnel raided the site, further adding that the deceased were affiliated with the banned terror group, Al-Ahrar – The said group took responsibility for suicide blast in Lahore in which at least 14 people, including senior police officers, were martyred.

In Pasroor, near Sialkot according to authorities, six Afghan nationals were taken into custody in a raid, while at Larri Adda a bag full of bullets was recovered from a passenger, however, the suspect managed to flee. LEAs have started search for the man, meanwhile arrested six other Afghan nationals from the vicinity