Operations conducted to flush out terrorists

ISLAMABAD: The plan seemed to be storming the sensitive installations and personalities linked to the armed forces in Wah Cantonment. But before they could succeed, a secret watch by spy agents led to catch these terrorists. It was all happening before the Pakistan military opted for operation 'Radd-ul-Fasaad'.

It was within the radius of a few kilometers from the Pakistan Ordnance Factories complex in the Wah Cantonment where intelligence agencies’ reports expressed fears of a series of terrorist attacks on sensitive installations.

This was perhaps one of reasons where agencies cited fears on Monday that terrorists might carry out an attack as three federal minister — Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Rana Tanveer Hussain, and Muhammad Barjees Tahir — were scheduled to attend a Labour Day ceremony at the POF complex. In its secret offensive called 'Operation Fox Hunt', the forces arrested a militant who was planning to target sensitive security installations — including the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) Wah, Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) and Heavy Mechanical Complex (HMC). 

He migrated from Afghanistan to Pakistan around 10 to 12 years ago, according to confidential documents this correspondent has exclusively gained access to. The militant was settled in a small village called Haji Shah in Tehsil Hazro of district Attock. He then illegally obtained a computerised national identity card and then travel documents from the directorate of immigration and passports office. Then he got married with a Pakistani woman whose father was employed at a sensitive position in the POF. Then he started performing duties of Imam Masjid in this village. 

Later, he established an English Language Institute in Attock. He got penetration into the sensitive institution, has vast ingress in government departments and private sector. He maintained his links with Taliban in Afghanistan and facilitated other Afghans for getting Pakistani travel documents.

In yet another similar operation named 'Operation Khan' two suspects were apprehended in connection with suicide attack on late Col (R) Shuja Khanzada on Sep 2, 2015the documents continued to reveal. One of suspects was Asif Mahmood who is an employee of POF Sanjwal and has close contact with militants/LeJ elements and extending facilitation to these elements with help of Muhammad Irfan.

It is also pertinent to mention here that the military on November 23, 2015 successfully apprehended a suspect from Attock city namely Umer Zahid in 'Operation Paracha.'   Then in another operation named 'Operation Annexes', two suspects, who facilitated militants of the area by transporting their weapons, ammunition and explosive etc., were arrested on August 6, 2016. They were providing safe havens to militants in Tehsil Jand. They were named Farooq Ali and Tayyab Waqas.

In another operation called 'Operation Lancer,' military arrested Muhammad Mushtaq, Muhammad Sabir Amjad and Bakhtiar Ahmed on Aug 25, 2015. They have links with diehard terrorist/militant organizations namely TTP/TTM/JUA.

“Pakistan is passing through a delicate phase in history where internal and external, covert and overt threats have worsen the already fragile and deteriorating law and order situation of the country. Law and order situation in areas of resistance is dicey and it has the history of sectarian/terrorism violence. The influx of Afghan nationals and FATA settlers in last one decade has further complicated the situation. The terrorists/anti-state elements have footprints in all areas of risk,” revealed the documents, which were denied neither by the military nor by intelligence agencies when The News approached them for comments.

In another secret action named “Operation Khurasaan”, Pakistan military arrested 13 militants of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) from Chah Sultan, some five kilometers away from the General Headquarter Rawalpindi, revealed the documents. 

The nabbed terrorists, who were planning to hit sensitive installations, belonged to a shadowy group of several hundred men who were operating in North and South Waziristan.  The operators of military learnt that the JuA, previously known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (Mohmand chapter) led by Commander Abdul Wali alias Qamar Khalid Khurasani has increased its activities manifold in Punjab, particularly in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The JuA initially started with minting of extortion/ransom money from Mohmad-based well-off individuals engaged in auto spare parts business in Chah Sultan and Glass Factory areas of Rawalpindi, as these areas are predominantly inhabited by individuals hailing from tribal areas particularly from Mohmand Agency. Later on, they kept on expanding their organization, focusing on other areas as well.

These militants were identified as Khaliq Jan, Momin Khan, Bilal alias Yaseen, Bakht Jamal, Ghulam Qadir, Shahenshah, Ajmal Khan, Rehman Khan, Momin Khan, Suleman Khan, Murad Khan, Azam Khan and Fazal-e-Rabi.

Forces launched 'Operation Mirza' on October 16, 2015 with a view to apprehending militants who have a history of involvement in terrorism and can plan/conduct terrorist activities in Rawalpindi. These terrorists who had link with LeJ/TTP are: Khalid Mahmood, Atta-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Noman, Faizan, Qari Kosir Ali, Qari Zubair, Mamoon Khan and Shams-ur-Rehman.