ISLAMABAD: An important breakthrough in the investigation into the recent Islamabad suicide bombing reveals a complex network of facilitators and handlers, with the trail leading to the militant commanders operating from Afghanistan.
Authorities have made several key arrests and successfully identified the mastermind behind the attack, shedding light on the logistics and foreign ties of the terrorist operation.
Investigators said the inquiry swiftly led to the arrest of a facilitator responsible for arranging accommodation for the suicide bomber. In a related development, the owner of the room rented to the bomber has also been detained.
The attacker arrived 23 days before the bombing along with an accomplice and was housed in Dhoke Paracha area.
Details regarding the bomber’s lodging indicate a deliberate attempt to obscure the transaction: the house owner claimed the property had been sold to a woman but no final sale agreement had been concluded.
Forensic and intelligence analysis of the bomber’s movements has confirmed multiple instances of cross-border travel.
The suicide bomber is reported to have entered Pakistan from Afghanistan multiple times during 2024 and 2025. Disturbingly, the bomber also entered Pakistan once on a visa, suggesting potential exploitation of legal entry channels by the terrorist outfit.
The bomber, identified as Usman alias “Qari,” belonged to the Shinwari tribe and was a resident of Achin, Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
Crucially, the investigation has led to the identification of the mastermind behind the district courts attack (which likely refers to the target or a related attack) and the identification of a senior TTP commander giving directives.
The operation was commanded by Saeed-ur-Rehman alias “Dadullah” (referred to by authorities as a TTP/“Fitna-e-Khwarij” commander). He instructed the attackers to carry out the suicide attack in Islamabad via the Telegram app.
Saeed-ur-Rehman alias Dadullah Akbar, a native of Charmang, Bajaur, and currently residing in Afghanistan, has been identified as the TTP’s intelligence chief for Nawagai, Bajaur.
He was responsible for sending pictures of the suicide bomber, Usman alias “Qari,” to the local handler, Sajidullah, to ensure the bomber’s successful reception upon arrival in Pakistan.
The handler of the suicide bomber, Sajidullah alias “Sheena,” has been arrested and has made confession during interrogation.
Sajidullah accommodated the bomber upon his arrival and, acting on Dadullah’s instructions, retrieved the suicide jacket from Akhun Baba graveyard in Peshawar and brought it to Islamabad. He also assisted the bomber in wearing the explosive vest on the day of the attack.
In a separate but related development, the accomplices of the suicide bomber involved in the G-11 Islamabad Judicial Complex explosion have also been apprehended.
The evidence trail firmly links the attack back to the commanders in Afghanistan, particularly Saeed-ur-Rehman alias “Dadullah.”
The repeated cross-border infiltration by the bomber and the use of the Telegram app for command and control highlight the continued challenge of locating and neutralizing terrorist networks that utilize the Pak-Afghan border region as a base of operations, the sources maintained.
The fact that the bomber entered on a visa on one occasion raises serious concerns about the vetting process and potential intelligence gaps that allowed a known militant to gain legal access to the country.
The investigation will now intensify efforts to focus on intelligence-led operations to locate and apprehend or neutralize Saeed-ur-Rehman alias “Dadullah” and other key TTP leaders currently operating from Afghanistan.
