APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwean police on Tuesday said that two foreigners arrested at the South African border in June were not terrorists, and they accused the media of jumping to conclusions about the identity of the duo and the nature of their mission.

Imran Muhammad and Chaudry Parvez Ahmed, initially suspected to be Pakistani terrorists, were arrested at Beitbridge Border Post en route to neighbouring South Africa on June 24.

Muhammad was said to be under an international arrest warrant.

But police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena denied the duo were terrorists as earlier reported by the state media.

He however said the foreigners would remain in police custody while further investigations continued.

The two allegedly flew from Saudi Arabia to Tanzania, where they fraudulently acquired Kenyan passports before travelling to Zimbabwe by road.

South Africa is hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and experts had said that terrorism could not be ruled out because of the huge attention that even a small attack would get during the 11 June-11 July tournament.