Pakistani troops arrest alleged Mumbai plotter

One of the alleged plotters of last month’s attack by gunmen on Mumbai was arrested by Pakistani security forces, officials said Monday.

Pakistani troops seized a camp used by the suspected terrorist group and arrested more than five people.

The raid was the first known action by Islamabad in response to the attacks, which have sharply raised tensions between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India and raised concerns in Washington over its campaign against al-Qaeda in the region.

Witnesses heard several loud explosions and saw a helicopter and dozens of army personnel at the scene.

It has been reported that one of those held was Lashkar-e-Taiba operational chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

“Yes, Lakhvi is among four or five people arrested in a raid yesterday,” said the official, whose JuD charity is regarded as front for the feared militant group.

India has blamed “Lashkar-e-Taiba” for attacks in its commercial center, which killed nearly 180 people and injured over 300.

Islamabad denies any participation in the Mumbai violence but some of the gunmen are said to have had links to Pakistani militants.

The United States has exerted diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to match words with deeds swiftly to stop the crisis worsening, while asking India to exercise restraint.

“I think there’s no doubt that Pakistani territory was used, by probably non-state actors,” U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told CNN’s “Late Edition” on Sunday.

Photo: New York Times