Arrested Britons 'told of plot'

Intelligence agents in Pakistan arrested two British nationals of Pakistani origin who provided information on the terror plot aimed at blowing up US-bound passenger jets from Britain, a senior government official said.

One suspect was arrested in the eastern city of Lahore and the second was picked up in Karachi, Pakistan's main port on the Arabian Sea, the official said in Islamabad.

"Our intelligence agencies made the arrests about one week ago," he said. He did not have details on whether the suspects had links with al Qaida or any Pakistani militant group.

An official at the British High Commission in Islamabad could not confirm the arrests, and referred questions to Pakistan's government.

Pakistan's government said it had played "a very important role" in uncovering the plot - allegedly sought to bring down as many as 10 planes in a nearly simultaneous strike that US officials say was suggestive of an al Qaida operation.

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said Pakistan had made some arrests, but refused to give details.

Several Pakistani intelligence officials also confirmed the arrest of a third suspect in the eastern city of Faisalabad, but could provide no details on the suspect's identity or nationality. They said they expected more arrests would follow.

British authorities arrested 24 people based partly on intelligence from Pakistan. The suspects were believed to be mainly British Muslims, at least some of Pakistani ancestry.

Two US officials said British, American and Pakistani investigators were trying to trace the steps of the suspects in Pakistan and were seeking to determine whether a couple of them attended terrorist training camps there.

A Pakistani intelligence official said an Islamic militant arrested near the Afghan-Pakistan border several weeks ago provided a lead that played a role in "unearthing the plot".