LeJ’s wanted leader killed

SUKKUR: The Sukkur Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) claimed to have killed a commander of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sindh, for his involvement in the 2014 Karachi airport attack, the Mehran Base attack, the attack on SP Chaudhry Aslam and the murder of Amjad Sabri. The terrorist, identified as Kamran Bhatti, was a leading member of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, police said.

While addressing a press conference in the office of the CTD Sukkur, SSP Omar Shahid and SP Irfan Samoon  said that the law enforcers signalled Bhatti and his two accomplices to pull over during snap checking on the Sukkur-Shikarpur Link Road. They further added that the terrorists opened fire on the CTD personnel in return.

The SP informed that the snap checking was conducted on credible intelligence reports of some terrorists entering into Sindh from Balochistan. “In retaliatory fire, Bhatti was killed while his accomplices managed to escape,” he added.

Bhatti was wanted in at least 20 high-profile cases. He was the main suspect behind the attack on SP Chaudhry Aslam’s residence. He was also involved in the murder of renowned Qawwal Amjad Sabri, the police informed.

Officials also recovered explosives, detonators and a handgun from the scene. The SSP CTD informed that the Hafeez Brohi and Abdullah Brohi group of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi continues to operate from Balochistan, where all logistics of their terrorist activities are planned. “Due to the unpaved routes from Dadu and Qamber and the close proximity to Balochistan, these terrorist groups continue to pose a threat to Sindh,” the SSP said.

Hamid said the police had received intelligence reports from federal institutions that terrorists could enter Sindh. He added that the police have asked the federal authorities for information on Bhatti’s accomplices who managed to flee.