Officials say Pakistani authorities have detained two French nationals who are suspected of being members of an Islamist militant group.
French officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed Thursday the news of the arrests, which took place several weeks ago.
A representative at the French embassy in Islamabad told the French news agency that they have asked Pakistani authorities for permission to visit the two detainees.
According to Pakistani security officials, the two men are suspected of being part of an al-Qaida-affiliated terror group allegedly headed by Indonesian Umar Patek.
Pakistani authorities arrested Patek earlier this year, along with members of a local militant group. Patek is accused of being one of the top organizers of the deadly 2002 Bali bombings and a member of the al-Qaida-linked group Jemaah Islamiyah.
The United States had offered a $1 million reward for the capture of Patek.
The attacks in Bali killed 202 people, including nine Americans.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
