CTD takes three suspected militants into custody

Arrested men were allegedly affiliated with TTP, LeJ and Da'ish

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have arrested on Monday three suspected militants belonging to different militant outfits during separate raids in the city.

The suspects were allegedly affiliated with banned militant outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Da'ish and sectarian-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), according to the CTD officials.

"The arrested militants belonged to TTP, Da'ish and LeJ. They had planned to carry out a major terror activity in the city before Eid, however, we have foiled their possible terror activity," CTD SSP Junaid Shaikh told the media while addressing a press conference held at his office.



The militants were identified as Shahsawar, Mujeebur Rehman and Khalid Pervez. They were arrested during separate raids in the Jubilee and Sultanabad areas. SSP Shaikh said the suspects were involved in collection of donations for their militant outfits during Ramazan.
Rehman has been arrested by the CTD in the past, however, he rejoined a militant outfit after his release from jail. "Besides being involved in the collection of donations, the suspects were also involved in brainwashing the youth in the area to recruit them to LeJ," the CTD officials claimed.

Shahsawar, affiliated with the TTP, was a government high school teacher before he joined TTP on an offer given by Baitullah Mehsud, the former chief of TTP. Shahsawar has been involved in attacks on the Nato forces and many of his comrades have been killed.



According to the CTD officials, Shahsawar and the other suspects confessed to their crimes during interrogation.

Cases were registered against them, while further investigation is under way.