PTI : Two brothers emerge as key players in Britain terror plot

Two brothers emerge as key players in Britain terror plot

Islamabad, Aug 12: Two brothers arrested in Pakistan and Britain today emerged as key figures in the terror plot targeting US-bound airliners even as authorities here said they were looking for two to three more persons linked to the Al Qaeda in connection with the consipracy.

Investigators are also probing possible links to the plot of four Pakistan-based militant groups, including the Lashker-e-Taiba, which had received funds from a Britain-based Islamic charity for earthquake relief last year.

Pakistani authorities have arrested seven men and detained 10 more who were questioned today to ascertain whether they were linked to the plot.

The arrest of British citizen Rashid Rauf in Pakistan prompted an associate of his in Karachi to call another man nabbed in Britain, asking him to go ahead with the the planned attacks on passenger jets with liquid explosives.

This phone call was intercepted and helped British security agencies to foil the plot targeting 10 airliners. Rashid Rauf's brother Tayib Rauf is one of the 24 men arrested in Britain.

Sources said the intercept of this telephone call and the arrest of Rashid Rauf helped to foil the plot.

Pakistani officials said they were looking for two or three more suspects, including Matiur Rehman, an explosives expert and a senior member of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terror group that has links with Al Qaeda.

Rashid Rauf was arrested in an area bordering Afghanistan almost a week before police in London foiled the plot on August 10. Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said, "We arrested him from the border area and on his disclosure we shared the information with British authorities, which led to further arrests in Britain."


--- PTI

Article Title: Two brothers emerge as key players in Britain terror plot

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