LAHORE - Backed by security agencies, police thwarted a plot to launch a major terror attack in Lahore on Easter Sunday, killing a terrorist and nailing three others early Saturday morning.
A combing operation was underway in Lahore’s Factory Area when a terrorist opened fired at the police. The police retaliated and firing which lasted for an hour, a terrorist was shot dead and other three detained.
"A major terrorist attack planned for Easter in Lahore tomorrow was successfully foiled by intelligence agencies," a military statement said. It gave no details about the affiliation of the militant.
As a result of gunfight, four security personnel also sustained injuries, and were shifted to a hospital. They are now in stable condition.
The deceased could not be identified so far and police have shifted the dead body to the city morgue for autopsy. Security forces also arrested a woman and seized weapons, suicide jackets and explosives.
Meanwhile, the officials conducted raids in Iqbal Town and Manga Mandi areas, and detained 12 suspects.
Pakistan witnessed a surge of violent attacks in February that killed 130 people and shook citizens, who had been emboldened by a tentative sense of growing security.
Lahore suffered one of country's deadliest attacks in 2016 - a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar suicide bomb in a park last Easter that killed more than 70 including many children.
On February 13, a Taliban suicide bomber targeted a public rally on The Mall, killing 14 people including senior police officers.
Seven people were also killed and 19 wounded in the city during a Taliban suicide attack targeting a census team on April 5.
traveller arrested
Immigration authorities on Saturday arrested a passenger trying to board a South Africa bound flight on fake travel documents.
According to Immigration spokesman, one passenger Istikhar Ali presented his South African Passport for immigration going on Emirates airline flight EK621. During immigration on final Gate, SI Alam Shair and ASI Sajida demanded further ID documents of South Africa but he failed to produce.
On further enquiry by Shift In-charge Imran Bhatti, it transpired that the passenger got passport by mis-declaration on fake particulars, the spokesman added.
The passenger was offloaded and sent to FIA AHTC for further investigation.
SMUGGLING BIDS FOILED
The Anti Smuggling Organisation of Customs seized smuggled goods worth Rs25 million during last 15 days, said a spokesman on Saturday.
On the directions of the Chief Collector Central and Collector MCC Preventive Lahore to curb the menace of smuggling in Lahore, the spokesman said, the Anti Smuggling Organisation MCC Preventive Lahore accelerated anti smuggling activities.
During the month of April, 2017, cigarettes, gutka, cloth, soft juice, Toyota SUVs, ceramic tiles and smartphone sets worth Rs25 million were seized.
The ASO staff intercepted 550mobile phones of assorted models of Samsung brand worth of Rs8.5 millions from Railway Station, arriving from Karachi.
The same team intercepted a truck loaded with 28-tons ceramic tiles of Iran origin coming from Quetta. A bus, coming from Peshawar and bearing registration number LES 699, loaded with miscellaneous goods was intercepted at Shera Kot interchange.
Customs authorities have registered cases and have lunched investigation, the spokesman concluded.