Punjab CTD, 10 terrorists arrested in 73 IBOs

The Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) reported the apprehension of 10 terrorists associated with banned organizations. This followed the execution of 73 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) throughout the province in March 2025. A total of 189 IBOs were conducted in various districts, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Jhelum, and Bahawalpur, resulting in the interrogation of 189 suspects. Weapons, substantial amounts of explosives and detonators, and other illegal materials, including numerous pamphlets from proscribed organizations, mobile phones, and currency, were confiscated. An official statement indicated that the arrested terrorists are affiliated with Fitna Khawarij, Al-Zainabiyoun, and other banned organizations. A CTD spokesperson stated that the terrorists were planning to attack key infrastructure in Rawalpindi and other urban centers and that further investigations are in progress. Furthermore, 2,053 combing operations were carried out in recent days in cooperation with local law enforcement and security agencies, leading to the screening of 82,473 individuals and the detention of 263 suspects. The recent increase in counter-terrorism operations in border areas is a response to the increase in attacks reported across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, following the end of the ceasefire between the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government in November 2022, as documented by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based research organization.