Eleven suicide bombers active in Rawalpindi, Islamabad

Pakistani law enforcement agencies are desperately hunting for 11 suicide bombers active in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, police sources have said.

Islamabad, Oct 31 : Pakistani law enforcement agencies are desperately hunting for 11 suicide bombers active in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, police sources have said.

They said that some of them were involved in the suicide attack near President Pervez Musharraf's Camp Office in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, which killed eight persons and injured 22 others.

"We have not been provided specific information or details but intelligence agencies say that a new group of six would-be suicide bombers - three men and three women - have entered Islamabad," Senior Superintendent of the Islamabad police (SSP), Taimur Ali Khan, said.

Five other terrorists have already been in the twin cities since August when a group of 10 arrived to avenge the military assault on the Lal Masjid complex.

Five terrorists of the group carried out two suicide attacks in Rawalpindi and one in Sargodha and were subsequently arrested by the Islamabad Police.

The new group of six is believed to have arrived to avenge the current military operations against the pro-Taliban militants in the Swat Valley, Dawn reported.

Security has been beefed up around the government buildings and diplomatic missions in Islamabad as they were said to be the prime target of the suicide attackers.

Some of the foreign missions, including the Iraq Embassy, recently received threats from the terrorists.

SSP Khan quoted the intelligence agencies as saying that the six terrorists were affiliated with the local Taliban or al-Qaeda and that the police and security forces were also on their hit list.

The police is particularly watching bus stations, shopping centres, motels, sarais and seminaries in the urban and rural areas of the twin cities, Khan said.

The members of the group might have split and staying at different places, he added.

ANI