Pakistani Information Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said Friday that "almost all the terror suspects" on the country's soil are now dead or in custody following a new series of arrests.

The minister made the remarks while talking to Voice of America on Friday, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

"A series of important arrests over the past three days have netted most of the remaining suspects wanted for terrorist acts inside Pakistan," the minister was quoted as saying.

He said the arrests included that of Osama Nazir, the alleged mastermind of the March 2002 church bombing in the restive southern port city of Karachi that killed three Pakistanis and two Americans.

Also taken into custody was Rana Navid al-Hasan, who was allegedly involved in the bombing at the US Consulate in Karachi the same year.

"Maybe we need one or two people, otherwise almost all of the (suspected) people are arrested," the minister added.

Source: Xinhua