CID nabs two ‘TTP militants’

One accused was leading TTP activities in Karachi and planning major attacks.

KARACHI:

Sindh police’s Crime Investigation Department arrested two suspected militants belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s Qari Shakeel group from Sohrab Goth on Friday.

A team led by CID (Operations) SSP Fayyaz Khan conducted the operation in the early hours of the day and nabbed Shahid alias Goli and Mohammad Sharif alias Malang. They also seized two pistols and ammunition from their hideout. A hit list, which included names of prominent political party leaders and traders in Karachi, was also found.

Khan told The Express Tribune that Sharif was leading the TTP group’s activities in the city and was planning major terrorist attacks. He said that the group was taking directions from another TTP militant based in Mohmand Agency.

The modus operandi of the group was to collect extortion money specifically from those in the transport business in Karachi, as most of them hail from Mohmand. If the group’s demands were not met, they would kill the traders in Karachi and also hurt their families in their hometowns.

According to the CID, the two suspects joined the TTP in 2008. They went to Afghanistan to wage ‘jihad’ against the US after receiving militant training at a camp in Mohmand Agency. After their Afghan mission, they were sent to Karachi under the leadership of Wali Khalid alias Umer Khalid and were given the task of generating funds for the outfit. Apart from extortion, they were also involved in target killings, kidnapping for ransom, robberies and other heinous crimes, informed SSP Khan.

They came to the police’s notice when a trader, Jan Mohammad, was killed in Sohrab Goth by militants for refusing to pay up. The accused have confessed to Jan Mohammad’s murder and also to attacking security forces in Mohmand Agency.

The group has now split into three cells, one led by Yusuf alias Ganja, the other by Sajjad alias Chohtto and another by Mohammad Sharif.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th,  2011.