Pak army HQ attack 'mastermind' held in Bahawalpur

Pakistani security agencies have nabbed the alleged mastermind of the audacious October 10 terror attack on the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

Qari Ishtiaq, a key commander of the Punjab based Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan network, was apprehended during a raid in Bahawalpur, The Dawn reported.

Huge cache or arms and ammunitions were also recovered from Ishtiaq's custody.

He is also said to be linked to the Islamabad Marriot Hotel bombing and attacks on the Manawan Police Training School and the Federal Investigative Agency headquarters in Lahore earlier this month.

Security agencies raided Ishtiaq's hideouts following receiving inputs from one of the terrorist named Hijratullah, who was nabbed earlier this year during the terror attack on the Manawan Police Training Academy.

Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have warned that at least 15 suicide bombers, aged between 16 to 20 years, have entered Pakistani Punjab along with explosive-laden vehicles.

Sources said the extremists could target important government installations, schools and shopping complexes across the province.

A police official, however, said that not all information provided by intelligence agencies could be correct.

"It is not possible for police to guard all high-profile personalities, establishments, offices and places mentioned in dozens of reports issued by the agencies over the past six months because going by them the entire city would appear to be the target of terror attacks," the official said.