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Pakistan raids 'al Qaeda hideout'

From CNN Producer Syed Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore, Pakistan

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Soldiers of Pakistan's paramilitary force guard an area in Shakai, along the Afghan border.
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LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani security forces have killed four suspected al Qaeda members and captured two others in a raid on a hideout in the tribal regions of the northern Waziristan province, the Pakistani army said.

Hundreds of security forces backed by helicopter gunships took part in Monday's raid.

Fighting was described as intense, with the clashes lasting several hours before the security forces overtook the hideout.

Several suspected al Qaeda members escaped, the army said.

Few details were provided about the suspects who were captured or killed in the clashes. However, security sources said they were believed to be low-level al Qaeda members.

One of the captured suspects was said to be from Pakistan, while the other was described as a foreigner.

Pakistani forces have been operating in Waziristan in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border and other regions of the country in an attempt to crack down on terrorists in that region.

Among key recent arrests by Pakistani forces was Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan, a computer expert who was apprehended July 13 and who intelligence officials believe helped al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden communicate with his terror network.

On Sunday, Pakistan arrested more than five suspects over a plot to bomb several high-profile targets in Islamabad, including the U. S. Embassy and the official residences of Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, government officials said.

Musharraf survived two assassination attempts in December that were blamed on al Qaeda operatives.

And his prime minister-designate, Shaukat Aziz, narrowly escaped a July 31 suicide bombing that killed nine people, for which an al Qaeda affillate claimed responsibility.

"Their aim was to have seven days of continuous attacks," Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told reporters.

Authorities initially reported five suspects were arrested, but government officials said early Sunday the number could be up to 10, including two Egyptians.

They said the men are believed to have ties to the al Qaeda terrorist network, many members of which sought refuge in Pakistan after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Investigators found the suspects in possession of 50 bombs, several rocket launchers and various guns when arrested, Ahmed said.

Authorities said the bombings were to begin on August 13, the eve of Pakistan's independence day. Senior government ministers were warned to limit public appearances and travel in the days leading up to the holiday, when arrests were still being made.


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