Imambargah attack: Another suspect of 2013 attack arrested

PESHAWAR: The counter-terrorism department (CTD) has arrested yet another suspect who was involved in the 2013 Madrassah Ariful Hussaini attack. According to a handout issued by the CTD on Saturday, the suspect has been identified as Fazal Muhammad, a resident of Bara, Khyber Agency, who was arrested from Peshawar.  Two accused have been previously arrested in the same case. One of them was arrested last month by CTD officials from Badhaber. Abdul Ghafoor, who also hails from Bara, told CTD officials during interrogation that he was a member of a banned outfit which planned and carried out the attack. He was sent to Central Prison Peshawar. On June 21, 2013, at least 15 worshippers were killed while dozens were injured in a suicide and gun attack in the main prayer hall of Madrassah Hussainia, popularly known as Madrassah Arif Hussaini, in Gulshan Colony in the jurisdiction of Chamkani police station. A suicide bomber entered the imambargah and detonated his vest at the prayer leader’s pulpit just as his accomplices opened fire on the security guards.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2015.