Terror attack averted: Police nab nine ‘terrorists’ in raid

Militant groups AQIS, LeJ planned to carry out terror activities during Muharram

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Sindh police claimed to have arrested nine alleged terrorists from various militant outfits who were planning terror activities during Muharram Friday night.

The arrested militants belonged to al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), and were in preparations to carry out major terror activities in Karachi during Muharram, particularly on Ashura said CTD officials.

The CTD officials also claimed to have recovered bombs, arms and ammunition from their possession. The arrests were made during a raid by CTD personnel at a hideout in North Karachi, where 'militant commanders' were busy in a meeting.

"I made a special team after receiving information about some militant organisations' plan to jointly carry out terror activities during Muharram," said CTD in-charge Raja Omar Khattab, during a press conference at his office Saturday afternoon. Their hideout had been under surveillance since the past few weeks, said Khattab.

During the raid, militants attacked the CTD personnel by lobbing grenades and resorted to indiscriminate fire. However, no policeman was hurt in the incident. "We retaliated with full force and used tear gas shells that forced them to remain confined," explained Khattab.

The arrested militants included AQIS Karachi chief Faizur Rehman alias Abdullah alias Daniyal, his deputy, Mustafa alias Shahzad, alleged target killer belonging to AQIS Karachi Afroze alias Lambu, AQIS member Ibrahim alias Sajid, LeJ's Orangi Town-based commander Saeed alias Kalu alias Abbas alias Farrukh Abbas, his two comrades - Ahmed Sadiq alias Zeeshan and Furqan Alam alias Zeeshan - and two militants of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan: Zainul Abideen alias Zain and Abdul Bari.

Interestingly, the AQIS Karachi chief was arrested along with three companions in 2010 but was later released on bail.

The former members of Harkatul Mujahideen al-Alami - Naseem Bhai alias Hanif Bhai and Kamran alias Atif - are operating AQIS, said Khattab, adding that LeJ currently has no leadership and the organisation is facing a financial crisis. There is a communication gap between the leadership in Afghanistan and operatives in Karachi, he claimed.

The CTD officials also claimed to have recovered a suicide jacket, four concrete block bombs, four hand grenades, 18 9mm pistols and a laptop from the suspects.

Khattab said that in the past, the militants had also been involved in bomb blasts and target killings of workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) including MQM MPA Manzar Imam and workers of the Sunni Tehreek.

Cases against them have been registered, while further investigations are under way.

Airport attack

Talking about the Karachi airport attack in 2014, Khattab said two of the terrorists killed by security forces during the attack belonged to LeJ's Orangi Town network.

"Currently, AQIS and LeJ are jointly conducting operations in Orangi Town and its surrounding areas," said Khattab, adding that AQIS is being operated from Afghanistan.

The arrested militants confessed that the ten militants killed during the attack at the Karachi airport belonged to Karachi, however, their bodies will be exhumed for DNA tests after a court order, informed Khattab, adding that they also confessed that they were planning to target majalis and had even completed their homework to attack a few imambargahs.

The militants were to carry out a suicide bombing and AQIS was providing the suicide bomber, said to be a youngster, Mehmood, who belonged to Burma but was a resident of Korangi, informed Khattab.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2016.