CTD arrests five ‘TTP terrorists’ in raid

The chief of Sindh’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), DIG Omar Shahid Hamid, announced on Monday the arrests of five alleged terrorists, including two bombers, associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Addressing a media briefing, he said investigations in terrorism cases were going on when they were tipped off about the presence of notorious terrorists in an area near Jamshoro, Hyderabad.

Responding to the information, which was also shared with the Sindh Rangers’ Intelligence Wing, he said, CTD personnel and paramilitary Rangers carried out a raid, and after facing resistance they arrested five terrorists of the outlawed outfit.

During a search of their hideout, the law enforces found two prepared suicidal jackets with detonators, a prima card, two hand grenades, two submachine guns, two 9mm pistols, two police uniforms, a map of the Police Training Centre Saeedabad, cellphones and CDs.

The suspects were identified as Sheraz Akbar alias Hamza, Liaquat Ali alias Huzaifa, Mir alias Hashaam alias Tandoor, Amir Khan alias Umer (bomber) and Nigaar Ali alias Zaid (bomber). They were said to be associated with the TTP.

Interrogations revealed that the suspects were planning to attack the Police Training Centre Saeedabad for which they had already completed the rekey. Moreover, DIG Hamid, the recovered CD confirmed Amir Khan and Nigaar Ali had been tasked with carrying out the attack, but the plan was timely foiled by the law enforcers.

The interrogations further showed that other terrorism attempts were carried out by the suspects, who attacked with a bomber a volley ball match of the Pakistan Army in Swat in 2018 in which a captain and 11 troops had been martyred while 13 others injured.

in 2019 the suspects had sent a bomber to Data Darbar, Lahore, in which 10 people had been martyred and 25 others injured. They were also involved in a bid of a suicide attack in Judges Colony, which was timely foiled by security forces.

TTP commander held

The District Malir police arrested an alleged terrorist of the banned TTP’s Bajauri Group involved in terrorism cases.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Irfan Ali Bahadur of District Malir said that acting on an intelligence-based information shared with him, a raid was conducted by a police team, who managed to apprehend a notorious terrorist, Usman Ghani alias Irfan, associated with the TTP Bajauri Group.

The suspect was allegedly trained in Afghanistan and had earlier gone to Afghanistan in 2019 with Taliban commander Qari Obaidullah alias Qari Saqib. He received training in handling in modern types of weapons and ammunition from Afghanistan.

He allegedly attacked security forces in Bajaur near the border in which a soldier was martyred. In 2020, Usman Ghani revealed, a huge sum of money was given to Hijratullah alias Majlis alias Jat in Karachi.

He also admitted that he used Facebook to keep in touch with his colleagues. Moreover, he said he possessed full knowledge of secret routes to and from the Bajaur area to Afghanistan. The police claimed to have seized illegal weapons and ammunitions from his possession.