'Al Qaeda hit squad' arrestedcnn.com
Friday, May 6, 2005
Posted: 9:57 AM EDT (1357 GMT)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan authorities have arrested 18 people thought to be part of the terrorist network of Abu Faraj al-Libbi -- al Qaeda's alleged No. 3 man captured this week after a shootout, according to intelligence officials.
In the course of the effort to seize the people, agents learned some of those detained were planning to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf, the officials said. There have been previous attempts on his life.
The officials said Friday the arrests were made in the previous 48 hours.
Pakistani authorities said two of those suspected of involvement in the alleged plot were Mushtaq Ahmed and Mohammad Arshad, an al-Libbi associate.
Ahmed, a junior air force official, escaped from prison after he was sentenced to death for involvement in a 2003 attempt to kill Musharraf.
Pakistani intelligence officials have been interrogating al-Libbi, and one said the prisoner was talking.
The official described the questioning as going in the right direction, but said it was difficult to say if the information provided by al-Libbi would result in the apprehension of other top al Qaeda leaders.
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