The two Islamist militants, identified as Aa-ur-Rehman, also known as Naeem Bokhari, and Faisal Bhatti, the British network ITV reported Tuesday. They were arested while traveling in a taxi in Kashmore and were being interrogated, according to Waseem Akhtar, the Sindh provincial government adviser on home affairs.

Pearl worked for The Wall Street Journal. He was abducted in Karachi while researching a story on Islamist militants. A British Islamist militant, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, also known as Sheikh Omar, has been sentenced to death in his slaying. Three other defendants were jailed for life.

Kashmore Police Chief Noor Ahmed Paicho said the two latest suspects are members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a Sunni Muslim militant group with links to al-Qaida. He said police found hand grenades, assault rifles, pistols and explosives with them, ITV reported.