Countrywide combing operation intensified

ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) on Sunday arrested wanted terrorists, criminals and militants belonging to the banned religious outfits as the combing operation was intensified in the country.

Sixty-seven people were arrested in the port city of Karachi, four in Bhakkar district of the Punjab province, six in Mastung district of Balochistan and 21 in Jamrud tehsil of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Two wanted terrorists and 19 other suspected persons were arrested in a search and clearance operation carried out in various parts of Jamrud Tehsil of Khyber Agency, an official said on Sunday.

Assistant Political Agent (APA), Jamrud, Ziaur Rehman, who was leading the search operation, told The News that during the search operation, they imposed curfew in various parts of the tehsil.

He said the action was taken after militants attacked a security check post on Saturday night in which a Khassadar, Shahid, was killed and two others were injured.

The APA said the security forces and Khyber Khassadars jointly carried out the search operations in Ghariza, Wazirdhand and Ghundai areas of Jamrud Tehsil and arrested 21 suspects.

“Two of the arrested persons were terrorists wanted in murder case of a polio worker last week in Jamrud,” he said, adding all the arrested persons were shifted to an unknown place for investigation. However, he did not disclose their names and affiliation with any terrorist organisation.

He said earlier curfew was clamped at 6am and the Jamrud bazaar, offices, schools and the Pak-Afghan Highway were closed to avoid any untoward incident. He said the residents were asked to remain indoors and avoid visiting public places.

Meanwhile, hundreds of truckloads of different goods and passenger coaches were seen parked on both sides of the Jamrud-Landikotal Road.Later, the curfew was relaxed and people were allowed to travel on the Pak-Afghan Highway after 2pm.

Meanwhile, in the wake of recent sectarian killings in Karachi, the law enforcement agencies booked former senator Faisal Raza Abidi on Sunday for possessing an illegal weapon.

Abidi was arrested by the Rangers in the wee hours of Saturday from his residence in the New Rizvia Society. The paramilitary force found sophisticated weapons at his home.Police said five sophisticated weapons, including submachine guns, were found at Abidi’s house.

The law-enforcement agencies had sought the licences of weapons. Abidi was unable to produce the licence of one of them. Sources said the police decided to verify the licences from the home department and interior ministry. The process will take time and if the licences are found to be forged,his arrest or stating the charges against him was issued that day. However, he was formerly booked and arrested by the Sachal police on Sunday.

Several other suspects from both the Sunni and Shia communities were also arrested on Saturday in connection with the sectarian killings. Police said five sophisticated weapons, including submachine guns, were found at Abidi’s house.

The law-enforcement agencies had sought the licences of weapons. Abidi was unable to produce the licence of one of them.

He was formerly arrested by the police and an FIR was lodged against him under Section 23 (1) (a) of the Sindh Arms Act for possessing a sub-machine gun without a licence.

He was later produced before the judicial magistrate (East) who granted his judicial remand till November 19.

Sources said five weapons were found at Abidi’s house and the police decided to verify the licences from the home department and interior ministry. 

The process will take time and if the licences are found to be forged the FIR registered against him will be upgraded with other offences.

The law enforcement agencies conducted a raid at the ASWJ headquarters and arrested general secretary Taj Mohammad Hanfi. He was taken to an undisclosed destination for interrogation. Some hate literature was also found at the ASWJ headquarters during the raid.

The law-enforcement agencies also arrested Shia scholar Allama Mirza Yousuf Hussain of the MWM and shifted him to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

On Friday, six people including three ASWJ activists and two pesh imams were killed within a span of an hour in separate gun attacks in the Central and East districts.

On October 29, five members of the Shia community were gunned down at a majlis organised at a house in Nazimabad No. 4.

On Sunday night, Rangers conducted a search operation in Rizvia and Golimar during which they rounded up some suspects and seized weapons. However, these arrests were not confirmed by the paramilitary force.

The Rangers said in a statement that some pictures posted on the social media by some miscreants showing that the sanctity of mosque, imambargahs and madrasas was violated were misleading and contrary to facts.

A Rangers spokesperson said the purpose of such misleading activities was aimed at hindering the ongoing operation against criminals.

He pointed out that sanctity of mosques, imambargahs, and madrasas was upheld during the information-based search. The spokesperson appealed to citizens not to heed any misleading propaganda and cooperate with the Rangers in the operation against criminals and miscreants.

He also asked citizens to pass any useful information on to a nearby check-post, or contact Rangers Madadgar on its Whatsapp No. 0316-2369996, email rangers.madadgar@gmail.com, helpline 1101 or SMS so that the society could be cleansed of criminals.

Security forces killed four terrorists from different areas of Balochistan on Sunday, while two persons, including a policeman and a civilian, died in crossfire during the operation. Security forces, on a tip-off, launched a crackdown in Bolan and killed three terrorists. 

A criminal was killed and a policeman was martyred in exchange of fire with terrorists during operation in Mustang. A civilian was killed and another injured when an explosive material went off on a road in Awaran. A railway track was blown in Bolan. No loss of life or property was reported.

According to FC spokesman, terrorists killed in Bolan were involved in train attacks and other terrorist activities. The spokesman said the dead terrorists belonged to a banned militant outfit.

In Mustang, a head constable was gunned down by unknown armed persons when he was heading home.  Later on, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi accepted responsibility for killing the head constable.

In Awaran, an explosive material was planted on the roadside in Kalar area. One citizen was killed and another injured when it went off. Sources said security forces killed a militant of a banned group in Ketch during a crackdown.

On the other hand, militants planted an explosive material on the railway track in Bolan.  The explosive material was blasted with a remote control device when the bomb disposal squad was defusing it.  It harmed the railway track. No loss of life or property was reported. Militant group Baloch Liberation Front accepted responsibility for the incident.