Two suspected facilitators of Chinese consulate attack arrested

KARACHI: The law enforcement agencies have arrested two suspected facilitators involved in the Friday’s terrorist attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi.

The two suspects were arrested from Karachi and Shahdadpur -- around 200 kilometres from the metropolis -- in a joint operation by police and other law enforcement agencies, the Geo News reported. At least one of the suspects is believed to have been in contact with the terrorists before they attacked the consulate, the sources said.

The suspects are being interrogated at an undisclosed location. Their identities have not been revealed yet. The security forces on Friday foiled an attack at the Chinese consulate located in Karachi’s upscale Clifton, killing all three terrorists and seizing at least nine hand grenades, Kalashnikov bullets, magazines and explosives.

Two policemen, ASI Ashraf Dawood and Constable Amir, were martyred in the operation to foil the attack. Two civilians, a father and a son, who had come from Quetta for visas, were also martyred, police said after reviewing the initial information. A security guard was critically injured.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the terrorists who attacked the Chinese consulate had come from Balochistan. In a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing on Saturday, the chief minister said security deployed at the Sindh-Balochistan border would be enhanced.

The Chinese ambassador lauded the prompt action by the police and Rangers and thanked the chief minister for immediately contacting him to apprise him of the situation in the aftermath of the incident, a spokesperson for the chief minister said.

The chief minister said he visited the Chinese consulate following the attack, and summoned a meeting to review the security situation the same day. He said he has ordered a security audit of all the consulates. He said the security forces deployed at the consulates will be provided with bulletproof jackets. “The Chinese are our friends and partners in progress,” Murad stressed, and assured the ambassador of fool-proof security measures at the Chinese Consulate. He also said the safe city project would be completed soon in Karachi. The Chinese consul general, Sindh chief secretary and IG Sindh were also present at the meeting.