Attempt to blow up Zhob airport foiled

Police arrests three suspects plotting to blow up airport and police lines in Zhob.

QUETTA:

Police foiled an attempt to blow up Zhob airport and police lines on Saturday and rounded up three suspects during a raid near the National Highway here.

District Police Officer (DPO Zhob), Raz Mohammad Tarin confirmed this report in a news conference here on Saturday. He said that acting on a tip-off, police formed two teams that were sent for investigation under the supervision of competent officers. “Three suspects were arrested from a deserted house near Quetta National Highway in Zhob town during a successful raid,” he said.

The suspects were identified as Noorullah, Hamidullah and Hanifa and they had arrived from Waziristan with the intention of blowing up Zhob Airport and police lines, said Raz Mohammad.

Police have recovered 46 anti-aircraft gun shells, 11 mortar shells, a hand-grenade and 10 packets of explosive material from their possession. Raz Mohammad said that one of the suspects, Noorullah, hails from South Waziristan while Hameedullah and Hanfia belong to Loralai district of Balochistan. Important disclosures are expected from the suspects during the interrogation, he added.

Targeted killings

Two men working on a fuel station were shot dead by unidentified men in Shahrag area of Harnai district, by unidentified gunmen on Saturday. Armed men held the petrol station’s watchmen and two other men hostage before kidnapping and killing Mohbin and Manzoor. The victims belonged to Bahawalpur district in Punjab and the incident could be a case of targeted killing, a senior police official said. Meanwhile, a man, Mullah Baksh, was killed in a hand-grenade attack on the office of a local cable TV operator in Mastung. Meanwhile, a man named Kher Jamali was killed in firing in Usta Mohammad tehsil in Jaffarabad district. Our Correspondent

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2010.