In a first, police in Pakistan's Punjab province arrested five women terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group. The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police said it arrested the five women from Lahore and Sheikhupura after receiving a tip-off.
According to a statement released by the CTD, weapons, cash, banned literature and cell phones were recovered from them. "The women are active members of Daesh (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) and involved in terror activities in the country," the statement said.
The arrested militants have been identified as Aiman, Javeria, Sadia, Faiza and Fakhra. Terrorism cases have been registered against them. They have been shifted to an undisclosed location for further investigation.
This is the first time that the CTD arrested five terrorist women in one go.
Last month, the CTD arrested over 20 terrorists who wanted to target important installations and religious places across the country. Most of them belonged to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS. Hundreds of alleged terrorists of TTP and ISIS have been nabbed this year after the truce between the Pakistan government and TTP ended in November last year.
The attacks on security forces have seen a rise in the country after the truce ended.
(With inputs from agency)
