A Pakistani official says four militants killed this week during a raid on a home near the eastern city of Lahore were members of al-Qaida’s South Asian branch who were planning an attack on the offices of a civilian spy agency.
The Home Minister for Punjab province, Shuja Khanzada, said Wednesday that the provincial head of the al-Qaida affiliate was among those killed in the raid early Monday, which was carried out by police and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.
Mr. Khanzada said authorities also arrested two “terrorists,” who were being questioned.
Al-Qaida’s leader Ayman al-Zawahri announced the creation of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent in September. Monday’s raid was the first known operation against the group in Lahore.
