Ex-Pak Major held for alleged links with Headley

Pakistan army has arrested a retired Major for his alleged links with terror suspects David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, nabbed by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges of plotting attacks against India and Denmark.

Chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas said the Major, who retired two years ago, has been arrested and is currently being questioned by intelligence agencies.

He was held as he was "in communication" with Headley and Rana, Abbas said.

However, Abbas denied a report that five army officers, including two serving colonels and a retired brigadier, had been detained by authorities, describing it as a "fabrication" by those running a "campaign" to embarrass the Pakistan Army.

The retired Major, who was not identified, was reportedly arrested in the garrison city of Rawalpindi that houses the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters. He was taken into custody after FBI gathered information that he was in e-mail and telephonic contact with Pakistani-origin Chicago resident Headley (49) and Pakistan- born Canadian national Rana (48).

Headley and Rana were in contact with the Lashker-e-Taiba and militant commander Ilyas Kashmiri, the FBI has said.

According to documents filed in court by the FBI, Headley travelled to Pakistan to meet a man identified only as 'individual A' and they together visited Kashmiri in the restive tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

The FBI said Headley travelled to Pakistan this year and was headed there again when he was arrested on October 3 at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.