PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province announced the arrest of a suicide bomber and his handler on Friday, saying they were planning attacks on two prominent politicians who wield significant political influence in the province.

According to an official statement, the arrests were part of an intelligence-based operation that led to the recovery of two suicide jackets, three hand grenades and a pistol from the militants.

The CTD said the two suspects wanted to target Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan. Both politicians had been previously warned by the interior ministry of potential attacks against them late last month.

“A suicide bomber and handler of the global terrorist Daesh organization, who trained in Afghanistan, have been arrested in Peshawar,” informed the CTD statement. “The arrested terrorist was planning to target the head of JUI-F and the provincial president of ANP.”

Rehman and his party have faced a string of militant attacks as they continue their election campaign for the upcoming Feb. 9 national polls.

The CTD informed that the attackers had also conducted reconnaissance of the JUI-F’s Mufti Mahmood Center.

The statement further revealed the militants had been trained to carry out suicide bombings at a center in Afghanistan’s Paktia province, indicating cross-border links in their operations.

The Bomb Disposal Unit defused the explosives in the suicide vests recovered from the arrested militants.