‘Key BLA group militant’ arrested in Lyari

KARACHI: Rangers and Sindh police, in a joint intelligence-based operation, arrested a key militant associated with a banned Baloch militant organisation in Karachi’s Lyari area on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Darvesh alias Sagar, was apprehended with weapons, ammunition, and a hand grenade in his possession.

According to initial investigations, the suspect is a resident of the Sargawad locality in Lyari. He reportedly joined the Baloch Student Organisation– Azad (BSO-Azad) in 2015 and later became part of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in 2018 under the group led by Farooq Baloch.

The suspect allegedly facilitated other BLA and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) operatives alongside his associates Farooq Baloch and Majeed alias Baba. During interrogation, he confessed to being the front-man of Hayam Baloch, an active member of the “Baloch Missing Persons” campaign, and played a role in the indoctrination and facilitation of female suicide bomber Mahel Baloch.

Authorities revealed that the suspect was also involved in arranging medical treatment and providing safe havens for militants of banned Baloch insurgent groups.

Darvesh further disclosed that his close associates including Farooq Baloch, Majeed alias Baba, Faraz alias Ganj, Nasir Zakri and Shehzad Zakri, were involved in multiple terrorist attacks targeting security forces in both Balochistan and Karachi.

Two of his accomplices, Parvez Zakri and Zafar alias Mama, were reportedly killed in a gun battle with security forces following the attack on the Jafar Express train.