Authorities detain nine suspects, obtaining call records in Karachi airport attack

KARACHI: As many as nine people, including a woman, have been detained as part of the ongoing investigation into the deadly blast that killed three people, including two Chinese nationals near Karachi airport, said investigating authorities on Tuesday.

The authorities have said that the geo-fencing of the area has been completed and the evidence found at the blast site has been sent for forensic analysis.

Sources have termed the blast, which also injured a Chinese national and more than a dozen others, a suicide attack which in fact has been attributed to the outlawed Majeed Brigade by the Foreign Office.

The incident drew a strong reaction from the country's leadership with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing deep shock and sadness over the attack.

"Pakistan stands committed to safeguarding our Chinese friends. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure their security and well-being," said the premier in a post on X.

Condemning the attack, the Chinese embassy confirmed that a convoy from the Port Qasim Electric Power Company was attacked near the airport.

With the investigations still underway, authorities have said that the data of six suspicious cellphone numbers was being obtained in the geo-fencing along with their call data records.

Revealing that the terrorist did not have a mobile phone with him at the time of the attack, they also said that the route of the vehicle used in the blast had also been ascertained.

Also, it has been learnt that the attacker had passed through the airport prior to the blast — for which no case has been registered as of yet.

Noting that the details of 16 vehicles damaged in the attack have been obtained, the investigating authorities said that the crime scene will be cleared soon.

Additionally, the probe has revealed that the attacker matriculated from a government school in Nushki in 2016 and held a diploma in Civil Engineering from a technical college located in Mandi Bahauddin.

The attacker also secured admission in the BBA programme of the Lasbela University of Agriculture.

The progress in the investigation follows the earlier breakthrough provisioning the record of the arc used in the attack which was registered under the name of Shah Fahd, who is a resident of Balochistan's Nushki area.

Following the revelation, the scope of the investigation was expanded to the western province.

Separately, a notification was issued by the authorities for the suspension of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) level official, who was deputed to the Special Branch's ASU and China Desk at the Jinnah International Airport.