Pak Taliban planning countrywide attacks on mosques, shrines on Eid-ul-Azha

LAHORE - Terror group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has planned to attack mosques, shrines and imambargahs during Eid-ul-Azha prayers, especially in remote and rural areas across the country, sources have revealed.

According to intelligence reports, the TTP leadership in a recent meeting has decided to use absconding activists of banned terrorists outfits- particularly the proclaimed offenders (POs)- to achieved their targets, the Daily Times reported.

Remote and rural areas, even the cities and towns that had not been affected by terrorism so far, could be soft targets for terrorists owing to the fact that law enforcement agencies would be occupied in more pressing areas, the reports noted.

They said that the places of worship, where proper security arrangements had been adopted, could also be attacked again.

After receiving these intelligence reports, the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) of the Interior Ministry has issued a circular to the home departments of all provinces, provincial police officers and other provincial heads of law enforcement agencies to immediately put security at high alert across the country, and take all necessary and preventive measures to avoid any untoward incident during Eid-ul-Azha.

The Punjab home department and the Inspector General of Punjab Police have also directed all regional police officers, city police officers and district police officers to prepare an Eid security plan, and take necessary security measures to foil the nefarious designs of terrorists. (ANI)