Militants planning to target law enforcers in Pak Punjab

Lahore, May 17 (ANI): Intelligence agencies have forwarded a detailed report to concerned authorities in Punjab giving details of two identified terrorist outfits, who are planning to target law enforcers in the province.

Intelligence agencies had earlier passed on the information that militants were making arrangements to target law enforcers and civil officers in order to upset the law and order situation in Punjab.

"Main conspirators: According to sources, the recent information provided by intelligence agencies, claims that the activists of two terrorist organisations, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), have formed two 'Fidai Groups', aimed that disturbing the law and order situation in Punjab as well as Sindh. In this regard, the groups will target religious leaders of opposite schools of thought and law enforcement personnel," reports Daily Times.

The report further points out that media persons could be targeted by the alleged militants in the similar fashion to incidents that took place in Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan.

"The law enforcers believed such groups had already started their activities in the provincial metropolis, citing incidents where police officials had been killed," said sources.

Four bikers had gunned down a constable at a picket in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area in April, and during investigations it came to the fore that the policeman was intentionally targeted in reaction to police activities against terrorists and other criminals in the area.

"The terrorists were using areas with an Afghan-majority for hiding. Several security teams were working in the city's suburbs, as law enforcers believed that militants were using these areas as their base camps, where they could stay and store explosives and ammunition," said a law enforcer.

"A few weeks earlier, a special team had raided such a 'base camp' and arrested Khalil, an alleged facilitator of militants and suicide bombers. Similarly, another team arrested two high-ranking terrorists from Ferozepur Road as they were entering the provincial metropolis," he added quoting a previous incident.

"The arrested men had been staying at another 'base camp' set up in the city's outskirts," he claimed.

It has been reported that the details forwarded to the authorities concerned also claimed that militants had earlier conducted their activities in such a way in Karachi. (ANI)