Tre svenskar gripna i Pakistan?

Tre svenska medborgare ska ha gripits av pakistansk polis, uppgav denna vid en presskonferens i fredags. Svenskarna ska ha ingått i en grupp om 11 (eller möjligen 12) utlänningar som var på väg från iranska Balochistan in genom distriktet Dera Ghazi Khan mot Waziristan, i Pakistans nordvästra delar.

Enligt polisen innehade sällskapet jihadistisk propaganda, och sade sig tillhöra den jihadistiskt inriktade religiösa rörelsen Tablighi Jamaat.

Pakistansk polis misstänker kopplingar till al-Qaida eller till talibanerna.

Pakistans The Nation rapporterar om tillslaget:

Police in Dera Ghazi Khan have arrested 12 Al-Qaeda-linked foreigners from the vicinity of inter-provincial Tirrimin checkpost on Indus Highway, bordering NWFP on Friday.

These foreigners including seven Turks, three Swedes, one each Iranian and Russian were arrested when they illegally crossed the border. They did not have valid documents and were going to Waziristan.

The initial police investigation into the matter indicated that they have links with Al-Qaeda. The top provincial officials may soon hold a Press conference over the issue.

Dera police chief Dr Rizwan Khan said they could be militants as Islamic literature, CDs, laptops were recovered from them. It is said they were coming from Turkey via Iran. They had entered Pakistan through Balochistan.

Tirrimin checkpost is located at Punjab-NWFP border, some 150 km from here towards north within the limits of Vehoa police station.

As per initial reports, the accused hired a vehicle from DG Khan after coming from Quetta on Friday morning.

The border military police remained unaware when they drove past at least its five police stations after entering from Balochistan to DG Khan.

Iranska Press TV rapporterar:

Pakistani security forces have reportedly arrested eleven suspected foreign terrorists at Dera Ghazi Khan district in the eastern Punjab province.

The militants were arrested on the border between the mineral-rich province and the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP). They could have had links with al Qaeda terrorist network or affiliated groups, district police chief Mohammad Rizwan told a Press TV correspondent on Friday.

The police source added that of all members of the cell seven belong to Turkey, three to Sweden while one suspected militant belongs to Russia.

Rizwan went on to explain that the miscreants were captured as they sought to sneak into Punjab via Trimmu checkpoint. It was when the security agents became suspicious of their travel documents and seized them.

Police also seized CDs, currency, terrorism-oriented literature and other materials from the arrested suspects.

Dawn och nyhetsbyrån APP rapporterar:

According to APP, they possessed CDs, foreign currency and jihadi literature.

Police sources said the suspects claimed to be members of the Tableeghi Jamaat and said that they were on a preaching mission.

AP adds: An official said the suspects ‘had links with Taliban’ and they wanted to go to South Waziristan after having sneaked into the country from Iran.

I Sverige var Expressen först med nyheten.

- Vi känner till de här uppgifterna från pakistanska medier. Vår ambassad i Islamabad undersöker det och vi väntar på svar från pakistanska myndigheter, säger Ellinor Lundmark, på UD:s presstjänst.