Peshawar airport attack mastermind arrested: CTD

Officials says accused confessed to firing at PIA flight in June last year

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's counter terrorism department has arrested a high-profile terrorist who targeted an airplane at Bacha Khan International airport in Peshawar in June last year, officials said on Friday.

“Noor Muhammad, a resident of Nowshera, was taken into custody from Ring Road, Peshawar. The accused after initial interrogation confessed to firing at Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-756 from Riyadh to Peshawar on June 25, 2014,” a statement from CTD stated.

Read: International night flights suspended at Peshawar airport

“The accused was a member of a banned terrorist outfit,” CTD officials said. However, they refused to name the outfit.

“We have evidence that the suspect was not only involved in collecting extortion money but in target killings of security personnel as well,” the officials added.

Further, the statement said the accused will be handed over to Badhaber police station where an FIR was registered against unknown culprits last year after the firing incident occurred.

“Further developments are expected,” the officials added.

Read: Peshawar plane attack: Cases registered against unidentified gunmen

On June 24, gunmen fired on Pakistan International Airlines flight as it was landing at the Bacha Khan International Airport, killing a woman and injuring two stewards. Eight bullets had pierced through the service door of the plane and resulted in the death of a female passenger.

The incident had severe consequences on the security dynamics of the province and had resulted in temporary suspension of flights to the airport while international companies had refused to continue their services from the city.