PESHAWAR, May 19: Intelligence agencies, in an operation on Tuesday-Wednesday night, arrested from Sultan Colony five foreign militants who had escaped during the Pakistan Army operation in the South Waziristan tribal area.

Members of intelligence agencies, accompanied by Crimes Investigation Department personnel, raided a house in Sultan Colony, Dalazak Road, at 2am and arrested two Arabs, two ethnic Uzbeks and an Afghan and recovered detonators and timers from their possession, sources in security agencies told Dawn.

The sources said that two armed personal carriers (APCs) were also stationed in the area to cope with any untoward situation, but none of these foreign militants had put up any resistance during their arrest.

"The security agencies had to break open the main gate to enter the house as inmates were not opening it despite several knocks," they added. "The arrested men have links with foreign militants living in South Waziristan Agency," a high-placed source said.

"One is a Saudi national and the other Arab is a Kuwaiti," the source said. However, it was not confirmed whether the two Uzbeks were nationals of Uzbekistan or ethnic Uzbeks living in the northern parts of Afghanistan.

"Their real names are yet to be ascertained as most of the militants use fake names to hide their identification," the source said. The arrested foreign militants fled from the tribal region bordering Afghanistan during the Pakistan Army operation against foreign militants, the source further said.

However, other sources said that the name of the Afghan was Wahid, a single name which is used by most of Afghans and Pakistani nationals. "Yes Wahid has been picked up by police," a woman in the house having Uzbek told Dawn. But she refused to give further details.

"They were living in the locality for the last three months," said a resident of Sultan Colony.appearances as Afghans wearing Shalwar Kamez and Afghani turbans and their neighbours had no idea about their origin, Mohammad Omar, a resident of the area, told Dawn.

GERMAN NATIONAL: Authorities in the Kurram tribal region have arrested a German national at Chappari checkpoint on Tuesday, officials said.

The German national, who has been identified as Richard Cahoon, in his 30s, was shifted to the Parachinar sub-jail for interrogation.

An official told Dawn by phone on Wednesday that the security forces got Mr Cahoon disembark from a commuter van coming from Peshawar at Chappari checkpoint, the main entry point to the Kurram Agency.

The officials said that security guards recovered a locally manufactured pistol and a knife from Mr Cahoon's possession. Sources, while quoting the detained foreigner, said that he was a convert and his Islamic name was Ramazan. He also told investigators that he wanted to meet local people.

Officials said that the arrested man was entering the Kurram region without permission. Under the government policy, no foreigner and non-locals could enter a tribal agency without getting prior permission of the Home and Tribal Affairs Department.

Secretary (Fata), security, Brig Mahmood Shah said that the German was in Parachinar's jail and had been handed over to the Joint Interrogation Team (JIT).