The campus is set to become the largest dedicated hub for AI and technology companies in the Middle East and North Africa
uae10 hours ago
Pakistan has arrested 97 Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants, including three commanders, in the southern city of Karachi and foiled a planned attack to break US journalist Daniel Pearl's killer out of jail, the army said on Friday.
The men are accused of involvement in major attacks on two Pakistani air bases, the Karachi airport, several regional intelligence headquarters and on police installations between 2009 and 2015, the military said.
The LeJ's Naeem Bokhari and Sabir Khan, as well as Farooq Bhatti, deputy chief of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), were captured by Pakistani forces in recent raids, military spokesman Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa said.
"Our conclusion is that all of the terrorist groups are trying to cooperate with each other in order to carry out terrorist attacks," he told a news conference.
The LeJ and AQIS had been working "in collusion" with the Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan, also known as the Pakistani Taleban, Bajwa added.
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, once enjoyed the backing of Pakistan's powerful spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence.
Bajwa declined to give details of the raids, including their timing.
Several of those arrested, including Bokhari, were in the advanced stages of planning a jailbreak attempt on the Hyderabad Central Jail, Bajwa said.
Khalid Omar Sheikh, who kidnapped and killed the Wall Street Journal's Daniel Pearl in 2002, is being held at that jail and was to be released during the raid, he said.
Six suicide bombers had been enlisted in the attack plan, in addition to 19 involved in facilitating it, Bajwa said. More than 350 kg (772 lb) of explosives had been recovered from a building believed to be a hideout, he said.
Video images of the building showed blue plastic barrels filled with explosives, washing machines that had been used to transport arms and ammunition, long lengths of detonating cord and dozens of ball bearings.
The footage also showed several rifles that Bajwa said had been stolen from police in earlier targeted attacks.
"This plan was 90 percent ready for execution," he added.
The campus is set to become the largest dedicated hub for AI and technology companies in the Middle East and North Africa
uae10 hours ago
Dravid's tenure comes to an end after the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies
sports10 hours ago
Stand-in skipper Jitesh believes the absence of key England players will not affect his side's morale on Sunday
sports11 hours ago
Netanyahu came under personal attack from Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza after the war
world11 hours ago
The fund is designed to finance the production of artistic and creative works in film, music, performances, and video games
uae11 hours ago
Fico has been in hospital since Wednesday when a lone gunman shot him four times, including in the abdomen
world11 hours ago
The country was one of the donor states to freeze around $450 million in funds after Israel accused 12 UNRWA staff of participating in the Hamas-led attack
world12 hours ago
This inclusive community service is available daily on Al Hamriya Beach from 6.00am to sunset
uae13 hours ago