Masterminds of KPO attack killed: Sharjeel

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Monday that they had killed the mastermind of the terrorist attack on the Karachi police chief's office in an encounter near the Northern Bypass in Manghopir.

The statement identified 26-year-old Aryadallah as the mastermind and 23-year-old Waheed as the accomplice who were killed in the exchange. Two others were taken into custody along with a suicide jacket, weapons and two motorcycles, it said, adding that the bomb disposal squad had defused the vest.

Five people were martyred and at least 17 others injured during the brazen hours-long terrorist attack at the Karachi Police Office on February 17.

Sindh Minister for Information and Archives Sharjeel Inam Memon, in a press conference later in the day, said that a special team comprising officers from federal intelligence agencies, Sindh CTD and other law enforcement agencies was working on the case. They received reports that the network involved in the reconnaisance and planning of the attack was hiding in the bordering areas of Karachi and Balochistan.

"Last night, the CTD received a tip that some of the terrorists belonging to the network would enter Karachi from the Hub area," said Memon. A team of CTD was deployed on the route. Four suspected terrorist on two motorcycles entered the city from the Manghopir area. When they were asked to stop, they resorted to firing.

Memon said that during this exchange, two terrorists were killed while two others were arrested.

Those killed were identified as Aryadullah alias Hassan and Waheedullah alias Khalid Huzaifa. "Both were the masterminds of the KPO attack," he said.

The arrested were identified as Abdul Aziz alias Muhammad Ali and Mehran alias Meharban. All those arrested and killed were Karachi residents, he said.

Initial investigation had revealed that the car used in the KPO attack was bought by the suicide bomber Kifayatullah, who detonated the vest during the attack, said Memon. Kifayatullah and Abdul Aziz, who is in custody, bought the vehicle for Rs1 million from a showroom in Hub. Aryadullah and Abdul Waheed provided the money to buy the car, he said. The minister further informed that weapons and suicide jackets used in the KPO attack were transported by truck from the Tank area in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw. The CTD recovered a suicide jacket, three pistols, two motorcycles and 80 rounds from the arrested terrorists.

Meanwhile, investigators said those in custody revealed that the attack was planned and organized in a neighbouring country eight months ago.

They said the third terrorist killed in the attack on the Karachi Police Office has also been identified. Sources privy to the investigation said he was an Afghan national which is why his name and credentials were not in the national database.

(With additional input from APP)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2023.