PESHAWAR, May 24: Police on Friday arrested six terrorists, including a woman, and seized improvised explosives devices, hand grenades and a suicide jacket during raid on a house at Tarnab Farm on the outskirts of Peshawar.

SHO of Chamkani police station Hameed Khan told Dawn that Ashfaq Hussain, Roohullah, Irfanullah, Asadullah, Qadeer Gul and a woman were arrested when they were busy preparing an improvised explosive device.

“We had the information that a group of terrorists had stored explosives inside a building and were ready to attack on politicians and government officials but we foiled their plans and held them,” he said.

The SHO said the arrested terrorists were also involved in the bombing of Awami National Party leader Arbab Jan’s vehicle and attack on police in Maqsoodabad, Khazana area.

“One IED, which was ready for explosion, was seized before the bomb disposal unit personnel disposed it off. Fortunately, the accused lost remote control to detonate IED when the police raided their house,” he said.

He said Roohullah was the would-be suicide bomber, who was mentally prepared to target law-enforcement agencies or politicians.

“Four of the arrested men, including Roohullah, are brothers and the woman their mother. The fifth terrorist, Ashfaq Hussain, is a supplier of explosive material. They all have long been linked to an organised terrorist group,” he said.

The SHO said the arrested terrorists basically belonged to Nowshera district but had been living in Chamkani village for long and that they had stored explosive material in two rooms of the house.

Another police official, who was in the know, said the seized items included an eight kilogrammes, remote-controlled IED, one suicide jacket, 65 kilogrammes explosive material, cables, batteries, three hand grenades, one kilogramme ball bearings, nine pieces of receivers and other related items.

He said a box carrying material for making bombs had also been seized.

The official said it was not clear yet if the terrorists had links with banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or Lashkar-e-Islam outfits.

He also referred to the recent killing of a woman by militant brothers in Adezai.

It is learnt that the woman was the sister of TTP, Adezai chapter chief Jangriz Khan.

When contacted, head of Adezai Qaumi Lashkar Fazal Malik confirmed the killing and said the woman was opposed to her brothers’ militant activities.

He said the woman was killed by her brothers at her house.

“Brothers wanted to rope in the woman’s only son for terrorist activities but his mother always kept him away from them,” Mr Malik said.

SHO ESCAPED BID ON LIFE: A station house officer on Friday narrowly escaped bid on his life but three policemen, including an ASI, were injured in roadside blast near Pir Qilla area of Shabqadar tehsil here.

SHO of Saro Kalley police station Gul Shaid Khan told Dawn that he along with other policemen were on patrol when miscreants exploded a planted bomb near their mobile van by remote control.

He said the blast left ASI Amjad and constables Zubair and Khadim Shah sitting in the rear of the van injured, while he and the driver remained unhurt for being in the front.

The bomb disposal unit officials said explosive material and ball bearings used in the blast weighed around five kilogrammes.

Police said they had registered a case before beginning investigation.

However, no arrest could be made until night.

ONE KILLED IN NATO CONVOY ATTACK: Militants on Friday opened fire on a convoy of Nato trailers/containers in Shagai area of Khyber Agency’s Jamrud tehsil, killing the helper and critically injuring the driver.

Officials said a convoy of 10 containers carrying Nato supplies was on the way to Karachi after crossing Torkham border checkpost into Pakistan from Afghanistan when it came under attack.

They said bother helper Habibullah and driver Hamidullah belonged to Zakhakhel tribe of Landi Kotal.

The attacks on Nato containers have registered a surge in the recent time. The Friday attack was the third during the last seven days.