Up to 126 held in Peshawar since seminary bombing

PESHAWAR: The law-enforcement agencies arrested 126 suspects in 30 search operations in the provincial capital since the bomb attack on Jamia Zubairia in Dir Colony, said a senior cop on Monday.

Thirteen search and strike operations were carried out by the police while another 17 were carried out along with army personnel. “Search and strike operations have been accelerated while checking points at the entrance to the city have been strengthened,” Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mohammad Ali Gandapur told The News. He added 2032 houses, 41 hotels and 10 hostels were searched during the last one week. The operations have been intensified after the Peshawar blast and threats of more attacks in the coming days.

A fresh security audit of sensitive places has been ordered and advisories issued to high profile individuals after the bomb attack Jamia Zubairia in Dir Colony last week. Eight people were martyred and over 90 were wounded in a powerful blast at the Jamia Zubairia in Dir Colony near Ring Road on Tuesday. The case of the seminary attack is being investigated by police and the Counter-Terrorism Department.

As many as 243 search operations, 407 intelligence-based operations and 477 combing operations were conducted in Peshawar in 2020 till last week.

The seminary attack had shocked a large number of people as many referred it to a similar attack on education and future generations like that of Army Public School on December 16, 2014. The attack was the major one in the city after a long time.

A bomb was also defused near a car showroom on the Ring Road a couple of days after the seminary blast. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Sanaullah Abbasi was told during a meeting on Monday that 284 search operations were carried out in KP in the past one month during which 1663 suspects were rounded up. An official said that a huge quantity of ammunition was also recovered during the actions.