KARACHI: Two suspected militants of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi were arrested and a huge quantity of explosives and arms was seized in separate police actions on Wednesday in different parts of the city, officials said.

The Special Investigation Unit of the Karachi police claimed to have arrested a suspected militant of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, who, the police said, was planning to target Muharram processions.

A senior official said that the suspect, identified as Imamuddin alias Mawia, was originally a Bengali who slipped into Pakistan via India in 1991.

He developed connections with some militant outfits while staying in Pakistan and had visited neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan and Iran, he added.

"He was arrested after a brief encounter in the Ayub Goth area," said SIU SP Raja Umer Khattab. "He is one of the key members of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in Karachi and recently came out of prison. He wanted to attack processions taken out on the 7th and 8th Muharram."