Source: Herald Tribune

LAHORE: Pakistani intelligence agents arrested an al-Qaida-linked militant and six of his associates in connection with an attack on an air force bus in November that killed eight people and wounded about 40 others, a security official said Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Ahsanul Haq, a retired army major, was caught in the eastern city of Lahore last month following the Nov. 1 attack in Sargodha, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital, Islamabad, the official said.

Haq told security forces the name of the bomber, who belonged to an outlawed militant group, the security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

“Ahsanul Haq was the mastermind of the attack on the air force bus, and six of his associates have also been arrested on his information,” the official said.

Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terrorism and has witnessed several such attacks in recent months. A suicide attack killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Dec. 27.

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Tags: air force bus, al-Qaida-linked militant, Pakistani intelligence, retired army major, Sargodha