Packistan unearths al-Qaida cell
Islamabad, Pakistan, May. 6 (UPI) -- The al-Qaida leader arrested last week in Pakistan had created his own network with the aim of assassinating Pakistani leaders, police said.
Abu Faraj al-Libbi, al-Qaida's chief of operations, is also the chief suspect in two assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf.
Since his arrest last week, Pakistani security agencies have arrested dozens of suspects from all over the country.
Officials at the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad told reporters that a group of 18 people arrested from the central Pakistani province of Punjab were working directly under al-Libbi.
"Their aim was to arrange more assassination attempts on President Musharraf and other leaders," said one official.
Under an arrangement with the media, officials talking about al-Qaida and terror-related cases are not identified to protect them against possible retaliation.
Pakistani officials identified two suspects as Mushtaq Ahmed and Mohammad Arshad. UPI had reported Ahmed's arrest on Wednesday.
Ahmed is a junior air force official, who had provided Musharraf's schedule to al-Libbi that helped him arrange the previous two attempts. He was arrested in 2003 but had escaped.
Abu Faraj al-Libbi, al-Qaida's chief of operations, is also the chief suspect in two assassination attempts on President Pervez Musharraf.
Since his arrest last week, Pakistani security agencies have arrested dozens of suspects from all over the country.
Officials at the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad told reporters that a group of 18 people arrested from the central Pakistani province of Punjab were working directly under al-Libbi.
"Their aim was to arrange more assassination attempts on President Musharraf and other leaders," said one official.
Under an arrangement with the media, officials talking about al-Qaida and terror-related cases are not identified to protect them against possible retaliation.
Pakistani officials identified two suspects as Mushtaq Ahmed and Mohammad Arshad. UPI had reported Ahmed's arrest on Wednesday.
Ahmed is a junior air force official, who had provided Musharraf's schedule to al-Libbi that helped him arrange the previous two attempts. He was arrested in 2003 but had escaped.
posted by allanon at 5:38 PM
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