Pak put on alert following Ilyas Kashmiri's killing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani law enforcement agencies have been put on alert in the federal capital and northern parts of the country to prevent possible suicide attacks to avenge the killing of al-Qaeda-linked terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri in a US drone attack.

The National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) of the Interior Ministry sounded a general alert to law enforcement agencies in Islamabad and Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces after receiving an intelligence report on possible attacks.

The NCMC asked law enforcement agencies to tighten security at military installations and sensitive establishments, the Dawn newspaper quoted its sources as saying.

Kashmiri, the leader of the banned Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami was reportedly killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan on Friday.

The terrorists have plans to launch motorcycle-riding suicide bombers against targets, the report said.

The law enforcement agencies were informed that five to nine Taliban operatives had been sent to Islamabad and Rawalpindi to strike targets.

A Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan operative named Ihsan alias Chhota Ustad has reportedly prepared sketches of the Artillery Centre and Pakistan Ordnance Factory at Sanjwal, as well as routes used by factory workers, for an attack by a sleeper Taliban cell at Tarnol near Islamabad, the daily reported.