Anarkali blast: two suspects arrested

LAHORE:Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab on Tuesday arrested two terrorists, including the main accused involved in New Anarkali Lahore IED blast.

The terrorists identified as Sanaullah and Abdul Razziq were apprehended with recoveries of 2x IEDs, detonator, prima cord, remote control and batteries. Both the terrorists were prepared to carry out further terrorist attacks on Law Enforcement Agencies in City and a train at Lahore Railway Station.

On January 20, 2022, an IED exploded in front of a bank in Paan Mandi, New Anarkali resulting in three fatalities and injuries to 33 persons while causing colossal damages to the nearby buildings. A case u/s 324/302/427/109/120B PPC, 3/4 ESA, 7ATA was registered at CTD police station Lahore. Responsibility of the blast was claimed by Mureed Baloch, spokesperson for Baloch Nationalist Army, BNA, (a newly-emerged alliance of BRA and UBA), on social media.

Dozens of suspects were apprehended through intelligence-based operations through which following earlier terrorists activities were also traced.

Those terrorists activities included Sabzi Mandi IED blast, Lahore (August 1, 2012), Fruit Mandi blast, Islamabad (April 19, 2014) and Vehari Chowk IED blast, Multan (September 13, 2015). Through development of technical as well as human sources, it was divulged that terrorists involved in Anarkali blast had left Balochistan on a truck to carry out some terrorist activity in Lahore. On the intelligence lead, CTD Punjab traced Sanaullah, son of Abdul Sattar and Abdul Razziq, son of Jilani. Both suspects were apprehended through intelligence-based operations while they had reached Lahore along with 2x prepared IEDs with a plan to carry out terrorist activities in Lahore.

Suspects confessed their involvement in New Anarkali blast and disclosed the plan of two terrorist activities in Lahore. Two IEDs, detonator, prima cord, remote control and batteries were recovered from their possession and FIR No.11/22 u/s 4/5 ESA, 7ATA 1997 was registered on Tuesday at CTD police station, Lahore.

accidents: The Punjab Emergency Service Department (PESD) responded to 1,039 road traffic accidents in all districts of Punjab during the last 24 hours.

In these accidents, 12 people died, whereas 1,074 were injured. Out of this, 618 people were seriously injured who were shifted to different hospitals. Whereas, 456 injured were treated at the incident site by Rescue medical teams.

encroachment: Lahore police have provided full protection and assistance to the district administration and other concerned agencies during the ongoing grand operation against encroachments on 24 special highways in the City.

According to a police spokesperson, 400 police personnel including 06 SPs, 23 SDPOs, 26 SHOs, 54 Upper Subordinates have been deployed for the security of anti-encroachment squads. Security is being provided to Special Squads of Anti-Encroachment Campaign in Samanabad, Nishtar, Data Ganj Bakhsh, Ravi, Wagah, Gulberg, Allama Iqbal, Shalimar and Aziz Bhatti zones.