The Counter-Terrorism Department has arrested 10 terrorists in intelligence-based operations across Punjab, foiling a major attack in the province.

According to a statement by the CTD, 189 intelligence-based operations were conducted across the province in which 189 suspects were questioned and 10 terrorists ultimately arrested. The arrests were made in in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Jhelum and Bahawalpur.

The arrested terrorists include Suraj Singh and Badal Singh from Rawalpindi, who originally belong to Nankana Sahib. Both belong to the Jiye Sindh Qaumi Movement and were arrested with a large quantity of explosives.

The other arrested terrorists include Hidayatullah, Deedar Hussain and Sadaqat Hussain. The CTD statement said that the terrorists belonged to Fitna Al-Khwarij (the name used by the government to refer to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), Al-Zainabyoun and other banned outfits.

“The terrorists had planned to target important buildings in Rawalpindi and other cities,” according to the statement. A total of nine cases were registered against the terrorists.

A total of 2645 grams of explosives, 16 detonators, 37 feet of safety fuse wire, 75 pamphlets of banned organization and magazines were also recovered from the terrorists.

In addition to the IBOs, a total of 2,053 combing operations were also conducted where 82473 people were checked, 263 suspects were arrested, 226 FIRs were registered and 163 recoveries were made.

According to a report published by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, there were a total of 105 terrorist attacks in the country, the highest since 2015. Punjab accounted for only seven of these attacks.