CTD police foil terror bid planned for August 14

Nab two SRA operatives, recover arms, explosives

HYDERABAD:

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Hyderabad has claimed to have averted a probable terrorist attack planned during the Independence Day celebrations and arrested two suspects allegedly associated with the banned outfit - Sindh Revolutionary Army (SRA).

The SSP CTD Hyderabad Syed Amir Abbas Shah told a press conference on Tuesday that a team of CTD, led by SHO Asif Hayat, which was heading for a raid was attacked in Kotri SITE area in Jamshoro district late on Monday night. According to him, three suspects Sajjan Malookani, Shaukat Malookani and Naeem Malookani, were involved in the attack.

The CTD later arrested Shaukat and Naeem while Sajjan escaped, compelling police to carry out a search operation in the proximate areas. During the encounter SHO CTD Hyderabad Asif Hayat sustained two gunshots on his bulletproof chest. He remained unscathed.

The SP claimed that Sajjan, who is a wanted terror suspect, and Shaukat carried out target killings and explosions on the directives of the top command of SRA including commander Mashooq Kambrani. Naeem is said to be a facilitator of the two suspects.

Abbas Shah informed that Sajjan and Shaukat had attacked a Punjabi settler Liaquat Arain in Shaheed Benazirabad district in May 2023. Although he sustained multiple bullet wounds, he survived.

In another subsequent attack on August 1 the same two suspects attacked a local leader of Pakistan Milli Muslim League, Israr Hussain Arain, in the same district. Israr later succumbed to gunshot injuries at a hospital. "Sajjan had fired at Arain while Shaukat was controlling the motorbike bar," he claimed.