Pakistan arrests 5 militants "planning attacks"

[Coventina]

Source: Reuters

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistani police have arrested five men belonging to an al Qaeda-linked militant group who were planning to attack government offices and the security forces in the city of Karachi, police said on Wednesday.

A surge in militant violence across Pakistan is reviving Western fears about prospects for the nuclear-armed U.S. ally, which is crucial to U.S. efforts to bring stability to neighboring Afghanistan.

The militants, belonging to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) group, were arrested in a raid on Tuesday night when police also recovered weapons and ammunition, Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmed told a news conference.

"They were planning to target seven government offices in Karachi including the office of the home (interior) minister and the police head office," Ahmed said.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5372LW20090408