Connecting the dots: Intelligence report names militants killed in APS attack

Law and order committee orders crackdown on illegal Afghan refugees

PESHAWAR: A confidential intelligence report has revealed the names of militants killed in the Army Public School (APS) massacre on December 16.

According to the report, Abuzar, Omar, Imran, Yousaf, Aziz, Chamnay and Qari, have been identified as the militants who died in the carnage.

The report confirmed the Peshawar school carnage was a revenge attack for the ongoing military offensives in North Waziristan and Khyber Agency. It added the APS carnage was also an attempt by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to avenge the death of a brother of militant commander Qari Shakil who was killed in a drone attack in Waziristan. Qari’s brother is also said to be TTP commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s aide.

“The group involved in the attack is active in the 25 disputed villages of Michni, Shabqadar as well as Bannu, Karak and Lakki Marwat,” it stated.

Earlier, on Friday, security forces killed a suspected militant in Khyber Agency accused of helping terrorists involved in the Peshawar school attack. Saddam had allegedly worked as a facilitator to the attackers who stormed into the school and killed 150 people, including over 130 children, on December 16.

Security plans

The technical committee on law and order formed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has ordered a crackdown against all illegal Afghan refugees in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Police have been directed to arrest and deport them with immediate effect.

According to those familiar with the matter, the police has been asked to closely monitor activity at bus stands, railway stations and markets. Plan clothes policemen have been deployed in various areas to avoid any untoward incident.

Police officials have also been directed to keep a close check at guest houses and hotels where people from other cities stay during their visit to Peshawar and other large cities in the province.

Khattak had issued a notification on Monday for the formation of a technical committee on law and order to assess the security situation in the province. The committee was tasked to act as a think tank to assist the government in meeting security challenges and countering militancy in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2014.