Punjab’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested five “suspects allegedly linked to terrorist organisations” during 65 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out across the province, the agency said on Saturday.

The Punjab CTD regularly carries out operations across the province to prevent and investigate terrorism-related activities and gather intelligence. Operating under the provincial police department, the agency plays a key role in maintaining internal security and countering terrorism within the country.

In a statement issued today, the CTD said 63 individuals were interrogated during the actions, which were taken in Lahore, Mianwali, Bahawalpur, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh.

Three of the arrested suspects were identified as Amjadur Rehman from Toba Tek Singh, Sher Ali from Jhang and Zahab Ullah from Lahore — who it said were connected to the banned group Fitna-al-Khawarij (Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan).

The other two were Tayyab Raees from Bahawalpur, who CTD said was associated with the militant Islamic State group (IS) — also known as Daish — and Baaz Khan, alias Bahar Khan, from Mianwali.

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Five first information reports (FIRs) were registered under Pakistan’s Explosives Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997, among other statutes, with cases filed in the Faisalabad, Lahore, Bahawalpur, and Sargodha districts.

During the operations, the CTD said it recovered 2,570 grams of explosives, four hand grenades, three detonators, 18-foot safety fuse wire, a Kalashnikov rifle with 40 rounds of ammunition, a 30-bore pistol with 20 bullets, four hand grenades, mobile phones, Rs22,100 in cash, and materials linked to IS such as stickers and pamphlets.

The Punjab CTD conducted 980 combing operations this week, in collaboration with local LEAs, resulting in the screening of 32,662 individuals, the statement added. “These operations led to the arrest of 109 suspects and the registration of 102 FIRs with 88 recoveries reported.”

They said that CTD is working towards “the goal of a safer Punjab,” and was determined to “root out the scourge of terrorism”.

Pakistan has experienced an increase in terrorist attacks as a total of 59 such incidents occurred countrywide in August compared to 38 attacks in the previous month, according to a digital database maintained by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank.

Three terrorists were killed on Wednesday during an IBO carried out in Nankana Sahib.

Last week, CTD Punjab arrested nine terrorists following 71 IBOs across the province.