Encounter in Quetta Town: Terror plot unravels as police storm militant hideout
For the second time this week, the Karachi police have made a big bust. They claimed to have arrested three militants who were planning to attack the main procession during Ashura.
On Friday, district Malir police carried out a raid at a militant hideout in the Quetta Town area of Sohrab Goth. The police team, led by Malir SSP Rao Anwar, faced resistance from the militants who fired at the police from their hideouts. The police also retaliated with full force and managed to kill three alleged militants. The rest of their accomplices escaped.
"These militants were definitely busy preparing for an attack on the main procession at Tibet Centre during Ashura," SSP Anwar told The Express Tribune. "We carried out the raid on a tip-off but the militants attacked us when we reached."
According to Anwar, these militants belonged to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The deceased militants have yet to be identified but the police claimed to know very well the identities of those who managed to escape.
"Qari Noorullah, TTP's local commander, was among the militants who managed to flee," said SSP Anwar. "One of the militants killed was trained to be a suicide bomber," he added. The bodies of the militants were moved to the Edhi morgue for identification after medico-legal formalities were completed at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Earlier on Sunday, the police claimed to have killed nine 'TTP and al-Qaeda militants' in a shoot-out on the outskirts of Karachi near National Highway. This raid, also led by SSP Anwar, missed the group's ring-leader.
Despite these breakthroughs, there have been two attacks on imambargahs in the days leading up to Ashura. A 10-month-old girl died and eight others were injured in the attack on Ayesha Manzil's imambargah on Tuesday evening. A similar attack in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Thursday night injured a man.
New strategy?
The police have learned that the militants are also planning to carry out bombings using vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, apart from using suicide bombers.
"Besides finding a huge cache of explosives, we have also recovered a suicide jacket and a motorcycle which was being prepared to carry out the terrorist activity to sabotage the Ashura procession," claimed Sohrab Goth DSP Qamar Ahmed, who also participated in the operation on Friday.
Home dept warning
Quoting a report prepared by the intelligence agencies, Sindh Home Secretary Dr Niaz Ali Abbasi said the militants are planning on using vehicles belonging to the media, welfare and rescue organisations, such as police vans, ambulances, fire trucks and oil tankers, for deadly attacks. In a press statement issued on Friday, Abbasi urged the police and Rangers to monitor such vehicles thoroughly.
"The terrorists have planned to hit explosives-laden vehicles to majalis and processions," he said, asking the traffic police to keep an eye on such vehicles.
Army deployment
Starting today, Pakistan Army troops will also be deployed at sensitive locations in Karachi and will play the role of a rapid response force to help the police and Rangers. Armoured vehicles will also be deployed along with army contingents.
According to an Inter-Services Public Relations spokesperson, they took the decision to deploy troops on the Sindh government's request. "The army will be deployed as the third-line of defence while the Rangers and the police will deal with the preliminary matters," he said. Deployment in Sukkur and other parts of Sindh started on Friday.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2014.
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