Pakistan arrests suspected Islamist militant

KARACHI, Sep 9: Pakistani security forces arrested today an Islamist militant suspect who is wanted for several attacks and smuggling explosives used in bombings in the country's biggest city, a security force spokesman said.

Pakistan is a major US ally in the war on terror and has arrested hundreds of militants since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The suspect, Mohammad Rizwan, was a member of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group, which the United States has designated a terrorist group, said Captain Fazal Mehmood, a spokesman for paramilitary Pakistan Rangers.

Rizwan was arrested in a shanty town on the outskirts of Karachi after a tip-off, Mehmood said.

''Rizwan was affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad and was involved in several heinous acts of sectarian terrorism. The provincial government had him on their most wanted list,'' he said.

Rizwan had also been involved in smuggling weapons and explosives from the Afghan border to Karachi, he said.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad has been fighting Indian security forces in its part of the disputed Kashmir region.

It has also been suspected of involvement in attacks in Indian cities and on Western targets in Pakistan.

REUTERS