In custody: CTD arrests three militants from Badhaber

PESHAWAR:

Three militants belonging to Nazir Afridi’s Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group were arrested from Badhaber, stated a handout issued by the Counter Terrorism Department on Monday.

The men were said to be involved in attacks on judicial complexes in Peshawar in 2013 and Islamabad in 2014, the statement added. They have been identified as Abdul Gafoor alias Ahmad, Bismallah alias Jamruz and Qamar Zaman alias Malangi.

CTD had received information regarding their whereabouts and sent officials to the area to arrest them. Although the CTD officials were successful in arresting the militants, other members of the group managed to flee.

On March 3, 2014 two suicide bombers blew themselves up in Islamabad’s judicial complex which killed 12 people, including a judge. A similar attack had been orchestrated on the judicial complex in Peshawar on March 18, 2013 in which four people were killed and 29 others injured.

With respect to the attack on Islamabad’s court premises, the handout said TTP commander Nazir Afridi had sent two suicide bombers from Afghanistan, Jawad and Hamas, to orchestrate the attack. Both men crossed the Torkham Border and stayed in Achini for 20 days.

“Suicide jackets and hand grenades were sent to Punjab two days before the attack,” it stated.

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