‘Slain Daesh men were forming network in Karachi’

Karachi

The counter-terrorism department chief said on Wednesday that the two Islamic State (Daesh) terrorists killed by police in a shootout in Gulshan-e-Maymar a day earlier were trying to from a network of their organisation in Karachi and also involved in attacks on security forces.

CTD chief additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi told The News that his department, with the assistance of an intelligence agency, had conducted a raid near City Garden in Gulshan-e-Maymar and gunned down Abdullah and Mujahid alias Talha in an encounter.

He added several other terrorists arrested earlier had disclosed the names of Abdullah and Mujahid as their commanders during interrogations. However, the two men had managed to escape in previous raids and the provincial government had announced a bounty of Rs1 million each on them. A sub-machine gun, two TT pistols, four grenades and two suicide vests were found at their hideout.

 

Terrorists’ profiles

The CTD chief said Abdullah was a Deash commander and was earlier associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Swat when he was in his hometown in Malakand Agency.

Abdullah and his associates had attacked a security forces vehicle in Malakand Agency. However, the forces had responded effectively and gunned down two of the terrorists. Abdullah and other terrorists were also involved in an attack on a convoy of security forces wherein one of the attackers and three security personnel were killed.

Later, Abdullah had arrived in Karachi and formed a group after which he started targeting law enforcement agencies including police.

He had recently joined Daesh and was forming a network of the organisation on the outskirts of the city.

The CTD chief said Abdullah and Mujahid were planning attacks on consulates, shopping malls, and the offices of law enforcement agencies.

The other terrorist, Mujahid alias Talha, was earlier associated with the al-Qaeda. He brainwashed young men and recruited them to fight against the State.

The CTD chief said Mujahid operated in Sohrab Goth and Gulshan-e-Maymar and was forming a network of Daesh there.

‘Criminals’ held

The West district police arrested three suspected criminals involved in kidnapping and robberies in a raid in Manghopir.

SSP West Azfar Mahesar said acting on a tip-off, a police team had conducted a raid in a slum in Manghopir and after a shootout arrested Manzoor Ali Buledi, Imran alias Shabbir Chandio and Ghulam Sarwar Jatoi. The three men were injured in the encounter.

Three TT pistols, ball bombs, a snatched motorcycle, 15 cell phones, jewellery worth millions of rupees and security forces uniforms were found at their hideout. The official said the three men were earlier arrested by police but were granted bail by a court and they had again formed their group.

He added that the three men had confessed to snatching around 200 vehicles in different parts of the city and selling them in the northern areas. They had kidnapped a trader, Khamiso Rind, in Hub Chowki and after receiving a ransom of Rs2 million, they murdered him.

They also kidnapped a contractor, Ameen, on Hub River Road in Moachko and released him after receiving a ransom of Rs1.5 million. They had also kidnapped the manager of a private company in Musharraf Colony and released him for a ransom of Rs1.8 million. The three men also confessed to committing many robberies on Hub River Road, Northern Bypass, in Altaf Nagar and also in Balochistan.

 

Rangers arrests

Rangers arrested 15 suspected criminals including target killers in raids conducted in the city.

A Rangers spokesperson said the paramilitary force conducted raids in Garden and Lyari areas and rounded up three gangsters.

 They also conducted a raid in Landhi and arrested four robbers.

Eight criminals including target killers affiliated with a militant wing were nabbed in raids conducted in Shah Faisal Colony, Malir, Liaqatabad, and Korangi.