CTD foils Karachi railway track attack plot, arrests five BRG terrorists

Suspects reportedly confessed to carrying out multiple low-intensity explosions on railway tracks in interior Sindh

KARACHI:

The Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) foiled a major terrorism plot in Karachi on Friday by arresting five suspected terrorists belonging to the proscribed Baloch Republican Guard (BRG), who were allegedly planning to blow up railway tracks.

A press release issued today by the department said that in a joint operation with a federal intelligence agency, the CTD also recovered explosives, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), weapons, and ammunition from their possession.

The arrests were announced during a press conference held at CTD headquarters in Civil Lines by CTD Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ghulam Azfar Mahesar and CTD Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Irfan Bahadur. The officials said the detained suspects included a commander identified as Jhanwar, along with Jamak Khan, Ali Jan, Niaz and Noor Muhammad.

 They said the suspects reportedly confessed during interrogation to carrying out multiple low-intensity explosions on railway tracks in different districts of interior Sindh.

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At least six such blasts were recorded in recent months in areas, including Shikarpur and Jacobabad, causing partial damage to railway tracks and train bogies. The banned group had also claimed responsibility for these attacks on social media.

During the investigation, the suspects admitted involvement in several specific incidents, including explosions on railway tracks in Jacobabad and Shikarpur between June 2025 and January 2026, as well as an attack targeting the Jaffar Express passenger train in Shikarpur.

DIG Mahesar said, "The suspects had received training in Lehri, Balochistan, where they were taught to handle weapons and plant IEDs," adding that explosive material was supplied from the same area and transported in a manner designed to evade law enforcement agencies.

The CTD also claimed that preliminary findings suggested the involvement of a neighbouring country in facilitating such activities, indicating possible external links to the network.

The officials said that authorities have formed special teams to arrest facilitators and other accomplices, while further investigation is underway.

Officials expect more disclosures as the probe continues, describing the operation as a significant step toward protecting Pakistan’s railway infrastructure and preventing future acts of sabotage.

Last month, the CTD said it killed four suspected terrorists belonging to the banned Fitna-al-Hindustan group in a successful raid at a house in Karachi's Shah Latif Town.

The raid was conducted based on information provided by detained suspects. However, the operation quickly escalated when the suspects opened fire on the police and launched a grenade attack, triggering an intense exchange of fire.

Two policemen were injured, including Head Constable Muhammad Yousuf and Constable Muhammad Junaid.