Two high-value TTP commanders arrested: Balochistan minister

QUETTA: In a major success on the anti-terror front, the Balochistan government Wednesday announced the arrest of two high-value commanders of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Nasrullah alias Maulvi Mansoor and Idris alias Irshad. “We have apprehended an important terrorist network. Terrorists Nasrullah [...] and Idris have been arrested after a difficult operation,” Balochistan Home Minister Mir Zia Ullah Langau said while speaking at a press conference in Quetta.

The arrests came a day after the federal cabinet approved Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism drive decided by the National Action Plan’s Central Apex Committee. Highlighting external elements behind terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, Langau said: “India is behind terrorist attacks in the country and provides financial support to the militants.” Underscoring that a certain group of youth have been misled and are harming their country, the minister called on such individuals not to fall to the enemy’s words.

The home minister also released a video confession of terrorist Nasrullah, who acknowledged the involvement and support of the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to the banned TTP and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). “The TTP is funded by RAW,” the militant said, revealing that he was in fact responsible for the military, financial and administrative affairs of the banned outfit. Highlighting that the TTP leadership, including its chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, was residing in Afghanistan, Nasrullah further underscored that his organisation has been working closely with the BLA. “The RAW wanted BLA and TTP to collaborate and establish the latter’s camps in Balochistan. Mufti Mehsud and Mufti Muazhim had said that we and our friends [RAW] have three objectives i.e., establish a foothold in Balochistan, target Chinese citizens [in a bid] to sabotage China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and carry out kidnapping for ransom which will highlight forced disappearances [issue] which in result will discredit Pakistan’s intelligence agencies,” the militant said. “A lot of missing people roam free in Afghanistan,” he added. He also noted that TTP chief Mehsud meets RAW officials at India’s embassy in Kabul and that the current Afghan Taliban-led administration fully backs it.