Friday, August 11 2006 14:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Pakistan made its own arrests in a joint investigation that helped uncover a suspected terrorist ring targeting international flights out of Britain, a government official in Islamabad said.

P"akistan did play a very important role in uncovering and foiling the plot to blow up US-bound airliners in suicide attacks," Pakistani foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told DPA late Thursday.

She credited active intelligence cooperation over a long period of time between Pakistan, Britain and the US for helping to break the case.

There had been some arrests in Pakistan, too, Aslam said, without giving specifics.

British authorities announced that more than 24 suspects had been arrested there.