Update: 10:30 pm IST: India is awaiting official confirmation that the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief has been detained.
Update: 6:40pm: Pakistan claimed that it arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar.
Original story:
Several terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the Pathankot air base terror attack.
The offices of the group were also sealed, as per reports.
Indian authorities have said Jaish-e-Mohammed was responsible for the attack on the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in Pathankot, Punjab, on 2 January , even though the United Jihad Council, a group based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack.
JeM had recently released an audio clip in which it celebrated the Pathankot attack and mocked Indian security agencies.
Pakistan has assured India it will take action against those involved. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting along with Army chief Raheel Sharif on Wednesday. It was decided at the meeting to send a special investigation team to India to probe the attack, according to a statement released by the Pakistani prime minsiter's office.
"Based on the initial investigations in Pakistan, and the information provided, several individuals belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad, have been apprehended. The offices of the organization are also being traced and sealed," the PMO statement said.
Pakistan had also made arrests on Monday after conducting raids in three districts based on leads provided by India.
The Pathankot attack has put the foreign-secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan in question, and it is still not clear if the meeting will go on as scheduled on 15 January.
