Karachi: TTP’s city chief, 4 other suspected militants arrested

KARACHI: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday claimed to have arrested five suspected terrorists, including the city chief of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

CID officials also claimed to have recovered one suicide jacket containing 20 kilograms of explosives, and two each of detonators, BM missiles, rocket launchers, Kalashnikovs, 9mm pistols, TT pistols and number of bullets from the possession of the accused.

They had allegedly been sent to Karachi to kill some religious leaders and police officials.

The Additional Inspector-General of CID, Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh, said that they were hunting for other TTP activists operating in the city.

Shaikh said they had received a tip-off on the presence of some wanted TTP terrorists in the city. CID teams were dispatched to the suspects’ hideout where the militants opened fire on the police.

After a brief encounter, four suspects Abdul Qayyum Mehsud, city Amir of the TTP, Muhammad Sharif, Habib Khan and Usman Mehsud were taken into custody. Two of their accomplices fled, taking advantage of the dark and narrow lanes. During interrogation, the suspects disclosed that they had sent 10 people to their commander Hakimullah Mehsud in Waziristan for terrorist training.

Officials of the intelligence agencies and the bomb disposal squad were called in who, after examining the jacket, found that a C4-type explosive was used in its preparation.

According to the officials, the impact of the explosives could have been six times greater than those locally made. “It could have demolished a three-storey building,” an official said.

The DIG said that the accused belonged to the TTP, adding that Abdul Quyyum had been a former guard of Baitullah Mehsud.

The police official also said that the accused were involved in bank robberies, police encounters, kidnappings and murders.

Earlier, the CID arrested a suspected militant of the TTP’s Punjabi Group allegedly involved in bomb blasts and kidnappings for ransom. The police also claimed to have recovered arms from him.

SSP CID Muzaffar Mashwani said they arrested Aslam on December 31, 2011, and, on his disclosure, they raided a hideout and arrested Muhammad Farhan Khan.

During the initial interrogation, Khan disclosed that he had planted a bomb in Safoora Goth on December 9 in which four Rangers personnel were killed and three others were injured.

The suspect also accepted responsibility for killing a motorcyclist in a bomb attack on December 10 near the University Road.

The SSP said the suspect had confessed to kidnapping two businessmen, who they later released after receiving ransom from their families.

The original article can be found at The News.

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