Pak police avert major terror attack on foreigners, arrest 10 terrorists

Lahore: Police in Pakistan on Friday arrested 10 terrorists who were plotting a major terror attack on foreigners, including on Chinese nationals, and planning to sabotage the Muharram commemorations in the Punjab province.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police made the arrests during intelligence-based operations in Lahore, Attock, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Multan and DG Khan districts of Punjab.

"Punjab police have foiled a major terror attack on foreign nationals, including Chinese, by arresting 10 suspected terrorists of banned outfits," the CTD said in a statement.

Terrorists have in the past targeted Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. In April last year, a female suicide bomber belonging to a banned Balochistan separatist outfit carried out a suicide attack on a van carrying three Chinese teachers at Karachi University.

Hundreds of Chinese workers, which include engineers, work in Pakistan as part of the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The suspected terrorists belong to the banned organisations of Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Daesh (ISIS), Sepah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar Jhangvi (LeJ), the statement said.

Four hand grenades, one IED bomb, 893 grams of explosives, seven detonators, a safety fuse, two pistols, scores of bullets and literature of banned organisations have been recovered from their possession, it said.

"The terrorists had planned to sabotage Muharram commemorations across the province and wanted to target important installations, religious places and foreign nationals," it said.

The suspects have been shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

Meanwhile, Punjab police arrested seven persons for sharing hateful content on social media.

"They wanted to spread communal chaos by sharing hateful content on social media," it said.