Islamabad: Terror suspect arrested

ISLAMABAD: A suspected terrorist wanted by the capital police in connection with a foiled bid to strike worship places in the city on the eve of Jumatul Widah was arrested on Monday.

The police said the arrest of Qari Inayat was made at G-6/1 near Mobeen Masjeed, adding four hand grenades were also recovered from his possession.

The police claimed that Inayat, in his 40s, was the mastermind of the foiled terror bid along with Sardar Ali Khan Khattak, a naib qasid at the finance division, in which they planned suicide attacks and ambushes at different worship places in the capital.

Inayat fled from the house of Khattak at G-6/1 during the joint raid of police and commandoes early on August 26. During the raid, his six accomplices were arrested which led to the recovery of a suicide jacket, hand grenade, two pistols, bullets and foreign currency.

On September 27, Khattak was arrested from the Loi Dandi area adjacent to Bari Imam shrine. Police said Khattak had gone to the tribal areas on August 26 to bring a suicide bomber for the terrorist attack.

Based on information provided by the arrested persons, the police mounted intelligence around Inayat and came to know that he would be arriving at G-6/1 to meet a family member of Khattak and his other accomplices. The police continued tracking of the accused and when he appeared near Mobeen Masjid, he was taken into custody.

After the recovery of the hand grenades from his possession, he was shifted to the Aabpara police station and put behind bars for legal action. The police said Inayat was also nominated in two other cases: one registered with the Secretariat police on June 12 regarding the explosion of an improvised explosive device at Murree Road near Third Avenue and the second filed with the Aabpara police on August 26 after the arrest of six persons and recoveries.

The police said Inayat remained prayer leader at different masques of the capital, including Mobeen Masjid and Islamabad Club, but left the profession about four years back. Later, he started property business and set up his offices at Sector I-10 and Pirwadhai.

Hailing from Hazara, Inayat allegedly brought a suicide jacket to the capital along with Khattak. Police said that on Monday he was to finalise a plan to set free his group members, including Khattak, who are in Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

The police said the accused was operating an independent group of militants and worked for several terror groups operating under Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

The original article can be found at Dawn News.

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