The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) announced on Saturday that 18 terrorists were arrested in various operations across Punjab. The arrests were part of a broader strategy to prevent attacks aimed at spreading fear among the public.
A CTD official emphasized that they are committed to eradicating terrorism from the grassroots level, taking every possible measure to bolster security in the region. In total, 145 intelligence-based operations were conducted in key areas including Lahore, Khushab, Gujranwala, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sheikhupura, Mandi Bahauddin, and Mianwali.
Among those arrested, three foreign terrorists, linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) under its new name, Fitna al-Khawarij, were captured in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. Authorities seized weapons, explosives, detonators, ammunition, and maps of sensitive locations from the suspects.
The CTD is also conducting 2,716 combing operations across Punjab, with 278 suspicious individuals already in custody. These efforts align with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s pledge at the United Nations General Assembly to eradicate terrorism from the country.
