Mastermind, female accomplice involved in Karachi airport terror attack arrested

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar on Monday announced the arrest of three terrorists, including the mastermind behind the deadly blast near the Karachi airport that killed two Chinese nationals among three people.

"Javed alias Sami, who is the mastermind of the [airport] attack, and a woman facilitator were arrested from RCD highway [which connects Karachi to Quetta]," the provincial minister said while addressing a press conference along with Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon.

Last month, a massive explosion occurred on a road near Jinnah International Airport, killing a total of three people and injuring at least 16 others, including another Chinese citizen. The police confirmed that it was a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), which also damaged approximately 15 vehicles.

According to the Bomb Disposal Squad’s (BDS) report, they have found that the terrorists used 70-80 kilogrammes of explosives, which were planted in a double-cabin vehicle. As the Chinese convoy approached the airport signal, the attacker crashed the explosives-laden vehicle into the coaster carrying the Chinese nationals.

Giving details of the incident, Lanjar said that the attack was aimed at disrupting Pakistan-China relations and sabotaging the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

He pointed out that the investigation revealed Javed’s direct involvement in the suicide bombing, while Gul Nisa had facilitated him.

He said that the investigators recovered the chassis number and registration plate, which belonged to a double-cabin vehicle, from the spot.

The home minister added that the vehicle, used in the attack, was purchased for Rs7.1 million from a showroom in Karachi and transferred under the suicide bomber’s name. "The payment was transferred through a private bank in Hub, Balochistan," he added.

Lanjar further said that the suicide bomber, Shah Fahad, was identified through his fingerprints "since his face and much of his torso were burnt during the explosion."

Citing further investigation, he said that the suicide bomber had arrived in Karachi in the same vehicle along with a woman on Oct 4, and stayed at a local hotel in Saddar.

During the night of the attack, the minister said, Javed — who was inside the airport — alerted the attacker via phone when the Chinese convoy exited the airport.

“As the Chinese convoy reached a short distance from the airport, the suicide attacker drove the explosives-laden vehicle close to them and detonated it,” the minister added.

Furthermore, he said, two more suspects — identified as rickshaw driver Farhan and Muhammad Saeed — were also accomplices in the blast.

Meanwhile, the law enforcers have also identified three more terrorists — Danish, Gul Rehman, and Bashir Zaid — who were involved in the attack and are still at large.

The provincial minister also lauded the efforts of CTD and Sindh police and announced a Rs50m reward for them, saying he would recommend them for the Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM) as well as the President’s Police Medal (PPM). 

It is pertinent to mention here that the responsibility for the attack was claimed by  the banned Balochistan Liberation Army's (BLA) Majeed Brigade via social media.

The CTD, in the copy of its initial report submitted to the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts, revealed that the bombing was made possible with the involvement of the banned outfit.

According to the report, the horrific attack was carried out with support from an intelligence agency of a hostile country.

The attacker drove his vehicle close to a convoy carrying Chinese nationals and detonated his charge, the report said, adding that the explosion took place near the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) guardroom.

An FIR No 142/24 was filed under the Pakistan Penal Code’s sections 302 (murder), 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharging duty), 324 (attempted murder), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharging public functions) and 427 (mischief causing damage).

The case registered at a CTD police station on the complaint of the Airport Police Station’s House Officer (SHO) Kaleem Khan Moosa also includes sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

BLA releases video message by Karachi airport suicide bomber

The BLA, following the attack, released a video message recorded by Shah Fahad, the suicide bomber involved in the attack.

In the video running for six minutes and nine seconds, Fahad, a member of BLA’s Majeed Brigade, was seen wearing a light blue shalwar kameez and sitting in a car. The clip appears to have been recorded shortly before the attack.

Both at the beginning and at the end of the video, which was published on BLA’s media channel 'Hakkal', he can be heard issuing a warning.

It is important to note that a high-level team of Chinese investigators also visited Karachi to inspect the site of the suicide attack near the airport signal that targeted a Chinese delegation and their security convoy.

The Chinese investigation team visited the blast site and, after inspecting the area, was briefed by Pakistani investigation officers on the findings thus far.