BLA commander nabbed over KU suicide attack

KARACHI:

The Sindh police made a major breakthrough in its investigation into the April 26 suicide bombing at the Karachi University and arrested the local commander of a banned militant outfit, a provincial minister said on Tuesday.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon told a press conference that two banned outfits – the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) – and a “neighbouring country” were involved in the suicide attack that killed three Chinese nationals.

On April 26, 2022, a female suicide bomber hit a van of Chinese teachers at the Karachi University, killing two female Chinese teachers, a male Chinese teacher and the van driver, while a Chinese teacher, a private security guard and two Rangers personnel were injured.

The female suicide bomber was identified as Shari Hayat Baloch alias Barmash, wife of Habitan Bashir. The Majeed Brigade – a part of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army – had claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

“With the efforts of the CTD [Counter Terrorism Department] and intelligence team, the main accused has been arrested,” Memon announced at the presser along with Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab in Karachi.

The presser was held following a meeting between a Chinese delegation and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday. The Karachi police chief informed the meeting that the main commander of the banned outfit involved in the attack had been arrested.

This [suicide attack] was carried out with the help of a neighbouring country, which has been supporting terrorist groups in several ways,” Memon said. He identified the arrested accused as Dad Bux aka Shoaib, who was arrested from the Maripur area on Monday.

“A team of intelligence agencies and CTD, after collecting the cellular communication data through geo-fencing and conducting DNA, arrested BLA commander Dad Bux aka Shoaib from the Hawke’s Bay area of Maripur on Monday,” he said.

According to the Sindh information minister, the arrested accused was in-charge of a sleeper cell of the outlawed BLA, and added that he had disclosed important information about the suicide bombing.

Read KU blast: Inside the mind of woman suicide bomber

“He [acted] on the directions of Khalil Baloch aka Musa, who happens to be a BLA commander and used to conduct surveillance of different places, including the Karachi University and government installations before targeting them.”

Memon while sharing details of the investigation said that before the KU attack, the suspect held a meeting with suicide bomber Shari Baloch and her husband and another terrorist of the banned outfit namely Zeb in Karachi.

“Zeb is the mastermind of the KU attack, who entered Pakistan via a neighbouring country and started living in a flat in the Dehli Colony with Shari Balcoh and her husband. He was an expert at making IEDs [improvised explosive device].”

A day before the incident, the mastermind left for Balochistan. However, he kept in touch with Khalil aka Musa via telegram, the minister added. “Terrorists want to destabilise our country. The purpose of the terrorists is to influence the CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor].”

According to Murtaza Wahab, the female attacker was not alone at the time of the suicide bombing. A man wearing a mask could be seen in one of the footages of the blast. “He is the man who has now been arrested,” Wahab added.

“The four characters involved in the attack have now been identified that is a big achievement,” the Karachi administrator told reporters. “Shari Baloch, her husband Habitan Bashir Baloch, BLA sleeper cell in-charge in Karachi Dad Bux and commander Zeb have now been identified.”

Col Nasrullah of the Rangers Sindh said that a team of psychologists had carefully examined the videos of the female suicide bomber. “The woman may also have been given drugs. Her body language also suggests that she was brainwashed,” he added.

Also present at the press conference, CTD in-charge Raja Umar Khattab explained that a sleeper cell network did not have to be large. “It was just a network of four people.” He told reporters, while responding to a question.

Accused remanded

The CTD police produced accused Dad Bux in an anti-terrorism court. The court handed over the accused to the CTD on physical remand till July 16 in the case of suicide attack on Chinese citizens at the Karachi University.

The investigation officer (IO) told the court that the accused was the commander of BLA and BLF in Karachi and that he was involved in the suicide attack on Chinese teachers at the Karachi University. The IO added that Bux used to facilitate attacks on the Chinese in Karachi.