Four Afghan nationals arrested with weapons, fake IDs

Officials suggest main ringleader still at large

CHARSADDA: At least four Afghan nationals were arrested by law-enforcement agencies in Mandani, Charsadda on Sunday. Officials suggested the suspects were working for a foreign agency and were allegedly linked to the Bacha Khan University attack.

The same day, 21 suspected militants were also nabbed during search operations in the district.



A law-enforcement official confirmed the arrests and said four Afghan nationals identified as Noor Agha, Raheemullah, Khan Agha and Khanimullah were arrested from Yusaf Khan Kali in Mandani and were shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

He said the arrested suspects were brothers. The official added weapons, including Kalashnikovs and pistols, and various SIMs were also seized from their possession.

He said the suspects were residing in Mandani and possessed fake national identity cards. The main suspect of the group, Naveed Khan, was  still at large.



The official claimed the suspects were working for a foreign agency and were allegedly linked to the Bacha Khan University attack.



Similarly, in another raid in Rajar, security personnel nabbed the father of a suspected militant Abdul Hai as he was not present at his home during the raid. He was identified as Azam Khan.

Charsadda DPO Sohail Khalid said the police imposed a curfew and searched Mehmoodabad in Umerzai. At least 21 suspects were arrested. He stated arms and ammunition, including non-licensed weapons, were also seized from the suspects.

Continuing raids

On January 24, the military announced the arrest of five men accused of facilitating the deadly attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda district which killed 21 people and injured dozens more.

The suspects were identified as Noorullah, Adil, Riaz, his son Ibrahim, and Ziaullah. The ISPR said the four terrorists were trained in Afghanistan and entered Pakistan from Torkham Border in Khyber Agency.



On January 17, the counter-terrorism department arrested a suspected terrorist at Turnab Chowk in Charsadda. CTD personnel acted on a tip-off and arrested the suspect. The detained man was identified as Yar Mat, a resident of Spin Qabar area of Bara in Khyber Agency. At least 39 packets of special commercial explosive used in IEDs, a TT pistol, an electric detonator, a prima card and ammunition were recovered from him. The CTD claimed the suspect was a member of a banned outfit.

errors.Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st,  2016.