Twin cities on high alert: Suspected suicide bomber arrested

Police claims 14-year-old boy was trained in South Waziristan.

RAWALPINDI:

Claiming to have foiled a terrorist attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, the police on Friday arrested a suspected teenage suicide bomber from an undisclosed location in the jurisdiction of Rawal Town.

The police claimed 14-year-old Shahrukh had been trained in South Waziristan and was about to receive a suicide vest in a few days to target a sensitive location in the city.

Police recovered a military uniform, one usually worn by Special Services Group Commandos, from the possession of the boy along with two pen pistols. More than Rs30,000 was also recovered from him. Police officials said the tip-off was given by intelligence agencies that were tracking him. “He had received seven days training in suicide bombing by the Taliban,” said a police official.

The suspect was commissioned to target a sensitive location in Rawalpindi, but he had not been told the exact location, police said.  Shahrukh told the police that he was given Rs65,000 by the Taliban for procuring necessary equipment for his task.

Police said further investigations were under way to ascertain his links with terrorist groups. Details about his accomplices are being gathered with the help of data found in his cell phone.

Security in the twin cities was put on high alert following the arrest.



Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2011.