Imambargah blast: Two Shikarpur bombing abettors arrested

Police says bomber stayed with the facilitators before attack

SUKKUR: Two men suspected of facilitating the January 30 Shikarpur Imambargah attack were arrested in a raid on Friday, police said.

SSP Shikarpur Saqib Ismael Memon told the media that the suspects were arrested after being identified by the already arrested suspects during interrogation.

“Shikarpur police in a raid in village Abdul Khaliq Kambrani near Sultankot has managed to arrest two persons who played the role of facilitator for the suicide bomber in Imambargah Karbala Maula attack,” SSP Memon said. He said a drum full of explosive materials and detonators and other items used for preparing bombs was also recovered.

At least 64 people were killed and many others wounded when a deadly suicide blast ripped through the Imambargah during Friday prayers late last month. The outlawed Jundullah militant group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The police officials presented both arrested persons before the media, with their faces covered with black cloth. They were identified as Ghulam Rasool Brohi, a resident of Khanpur, and Khalil Brohi, belonging to Dera Murad Jamali.

The SSP said that one person from Khasti Brohi village near Khanpur was arrested on Thursday, on whose pointation the security officials leant about the new suspects and their whereabouts.

During interrogation, the alleged facilitators also confessed to killing Shia cleric Shafqat Hussain Mutahiri near Khanpur some two months ago, the official said. He further revealed that the two had also planned to attack a rally of Shia activists after Imambargah bombing through a pressure-cooker bomb, but failed to carry out the attack. The SSP said the accused belonged to the outlawed outfits Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Islam. Their third accomplice, Ali Sher Brohi, is absconding and raids are being conducted to arrest him.

Suicide bomber

Giving details about the suicide bomber, SSP Memon said that Mohammad Ilyas, a resident of Quetta, was brought to Shikarpur by Mohammad Raheem, who handed him over to the two accused presented before the media. The age of the suicide bomber was estimated to be between 18 and 20 years and before carrying out the attack on Imambargah, Ilyas stayed for a week with Ghulam Rasool and Khalil.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2015.