‘Hardcore militant’ arrested in Mominabad

Police disclose arrest during press conference, say arms, explosives also recovered

KARACHI: Police claimed on Friday to have arrested a hardcore militant belonging to a banned outfit from Karachi’s District West. The police also claim to have recovered arms, ammunition and explosives from his possession.

The accused was arrested during a raid conducted on a tip-off in the Mominabad area of Orangi Town. He was later identified as Ahsan Mehsud alias Roshan. His arrest was disclosed during a press conference held at the District West police chief’s office where SSP Omar Shahid Hamid spoke.

"We have arrested a hardcore militant of alQaeda with arms and explosives," said SSP Hamid. "The accused has confessed to his involvement in various terrorist activities in Karachi." SSP Hamid said that the suspect's uncle, Hassan Mehsud, and brother, Ali Mehsud, are commanders of alQaeda, adding that he was dispatched to Afghanistan to be trained in 2011 and later went to be trained in Quetta where about half a dozen Arab militants were also present.



The accused later met Abdul Qadir alias Haji Baloch in Balochistan where Qadir gave him Rs1.5 million to purchase laptops and other items. Qadir and his son Zubair were involved in terrorism as well as kidnappings for ransom.

The accused, along with his brother and other comrades, had also set up a bomb-making factory. In January 2013, the suspect's brother met Tahir alias Sain, a key suspect in the Safoora bus carnage, who then included him in the Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

SSP Hamid said that the accused and his companions have been involved in various cases of terrorism, particularly in 2013 and law enforcement agencies were their prime targets. Cases were registered while further investigation is under way.