Spy agencies foil terrorist plot, unearth network of suicide bombers

Security forces detain TTP operative Satana Jan who was planning suicide attacks

ISLAMABAD:

Intelligence agencies have saved the country from a major disaster as they busted a large network of terrorists and suicide bombers, The Express Tribune learnt on Saturday.

Sources said security forces also recovered Afghan mobile SIM cards, drugs and foreign currency from the terrorists’ possession.

On January 19, a suicide bomber entered the Jamrud Takht Beg check post in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district and shot dead three policemen, they added.

After the shooting, the suicide bomber blew himself up. The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the attack on the police post.

Subsequently, security forces launched inquiry into the attack and collected bullet casings and body parts of the suicide attacker for forensic analysis.

They also conducted geo-fencing of the area and analysed the CCTV footage.

Also read: Possible suicide bomber identified

According to information received on January 21, a TTP member named Umar was behind the suicide attack.

Umar was facilitated by Satana Jan, a resident of Tehsil Jamrud of Khyber district.

In an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on January 23, Farmanullah and Abdul Qayyum, who were related to the suicide bomber, were captured.

On January 27, an operation was conducted on information about the presence of three suspects and facilitators. Fazl Amin, Fazl Ahmed, Mohammad Amir and Hamadullah were detained in the operation. Two Afghan citizens were also arrested in the operation.

Facilitator Fazal Ahmed revealed that the suicide bomber was an Afghan citizen. Satana Jan brought him to Pakistan and also provided him weapons and a suicide vest, he added.

Facilitator Ahmed also took pictures of the scene from his mobile phone on January 18.

Satana Jan was running the banned TTP in North Waziristan and was using four places for hiding and planning attacks on the security forces.

The Afghan suicide bomber was sent from Afghanistan by his handlers.