Pakistani cops foil suicide attack on police station near Wagah border: Official

LAHORE: Pakistan's law enforcement agencies on Tuesday claimed to have thwarted a possible suicide attack on the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station close to the Wagah border and killed the suicide bomber.

According to the CTD spokesperson, the suspect tried to enter the police station at Burki Road here early in the morning. "When he reached a check post leading to the police station, the security official deployed in the check post tower asked him to tell his name. The terrorist immediately opened fire at the CTD security official with a pistol, but the bullets missed the official. The CTD security official retaliated and the attacker died on the spot. When his body was searched, a suicide jacket was found," the spokesperson said.

Two hand grenades and a pistol with live bullets have been found. The Bomb Disposal Squad was called on the spot and the area cordoned off.

A search operation was launched to find his handler. "It is now clear that he was a suicide bomber who would have blown himself in the Burki police station if not stopped immediately. His identity is being ascertained," the spokesperson said.

Early this month, the CTD smashed an Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) network in the country's Punjab province and arrested five terrorists. A joint operation of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and CTD was conducted in Rajanpur, some 400 kms from Lahore, and arrested five top members of AQIS network.

The network was shifting from Balochistan to Rajanpur. They were also planning to launch terrorist attacks on vital installations in south Punjab.