Indian police arrest 3 militants planning attacks

NEW DELHI (AP) - Indian police have arrested three Muslim militants suspected of planning terror attacks in New Delhi during a major Hindu festival season that starts later this month, a top police official said on Thursday.

The three are members of the Indian Mujahideen, an Islamic militant group, police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said. The group has links to Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba, which has claimed responsibility for some previous terrorist attacks in India.

The three suspects were arrested in New Delhi over the past two weeks, Mr Kumar told reporters. He said they were responsible for several small explosions in the western city of Pune in August in which one person was injured. A Pune cafe popular with foreigners was the target of a 2010 bombing that killed 17 people.

Police recovered explosives, detonators, batteries and nails used in bombs from the suspects, Mr Kumar said.