Four ‘AQIS terrorists’ arrested in Jauhar raid

Personnel of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Karachi with the assistance of a federal intelligence agency have arrested four terrorists of the banned Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Bahadur, chief of the SIU Karachi, said on Sunday the arrests came during investigations regarding cases related to terrorism and threat perceptions.

After information was shared by a federal intelligence agency that terrorists of a banned outfits were present in Gulistan-e-Jauhar and planning for some terrorism activity in the city. Responding to the tip-off, a joint raid was conducted, and after facing resistance, the SIU Cops arrested four men. During the initial interrogation at the SIU headquarters, it was learnt taht the four -- identified as Muhammad Umer, Muhammad Bilal alias Fida, Muhammad Waseem and Muhammad Amir -- were associated with AQIS. During the search of their hideout, different explosive materials used in preparing improvised explosive devices, 10 detonators, three remotes, a receiver, two meter bona cards, three hand grenades and two Kalashnikovs were seized.

The interrogation revealed that the suspects took training at the AQIS headquarters in Afghanistan and worked for Muhammad Hanif alias Zarrar alias Ayub, AQIS emir in Afghanistan, and that they had been planning for carrying out attacks on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, city courts, the Police Training Centre and installations of law enforcement departments. Further investigations are underway.