Rat catchers get some more in the net

Three Al Qaeda suspects arrested in PakistanPosted on : Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:01:02 GMT
Karachi, Feb 16 Three suspected Al Qaeda-linked suicide bombers, who were planning attacks in the city, were arrested here Friday while six of their accomplices managed to escape after a shootout with police. Police sources said that when a police party raided the hideout of the accused in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area, the suicide bombers opened fire, which was returned by the police, Online news agency said.After an exchange of firing, police managed to apprehend the suspected suicide attackers, identified as Ferhan, Shahid and Ghani, and recovered three hand grenades, two explosive-laden jackets used in suicide attacks, two Kalashnikovs and two pistols from their possession. During interrogation, the accused revealed they had planned to conduct suicide attacks on foreign delegates of the IDEAS 2006, which was averted due to strict security measures, police sources added. According to police, the accused belong to Al Qaeda offshoot Qari Zafar group, headed by Qari Zafar, and had carried out a number of attacks in the country, including in Waziristan. Police said they were probing militants' links to the recent series of suicide attacks in capital Islamabad and in the North-West Frontier Province.