Attack on Karachi Police office: Army chief calls for 'trust, people’s will, synergy' to tackle terrorism

KARACHI: As investigators identified two of the three TTP terrorists who stormed the Karachi Police Office on Friday night, Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir on Saturday met injured Rangers and police personnel at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and called for “mutual trust, will of the people and synergy between all stakeholders” to tackle the challenges of terrorism.

“No nation can overcome such challenges with kinetic actions only. It needs mutual trust, will of the people and synergy between all stakeholders,” the army chief said, according to a statement issued by the ISPR on Saturday.

“Pakistanis have always rejected and defeated terrorism and extremism in all its manifestations. Together we shall prevail upon this menace for a shared prosperous future,” he said.

General Munir further said: “Terrorists have no religious or ideological moorings, rather only misguided conception forced through coercion or inducement. Contrary to political and other distractions being faced by the public, the security forces remain singularly focused on CT and Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs), which are being conducted all over the country with pronounced success.”

Earlier, on arrival, the COAS was received by the Commander Karachi Corps. At the Corps Headquarters, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the army chief were briefed about the Karachi Police Office (KPO) attack.

Later, they visited the KPO where a successful coordinated Counter Terrorism (CT) operation involving the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG), Sindh Rangers and police cleared the building while eliminating all the terrorists on Friday night, said the statement.

Subsequently, the CM and COAS visited the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and met the injured police and Rangers personnel. They praised the bravery, morale and sacrifices of the army, police and Rangers in the line of duty.

A high-powered investigation involving different units of the Sindh Police and agencies collected evidence from the KPO building and the killed terrorists. The investigators identified two terrorists as Zala Noor, a resident of Waziristan, and Kafayatullah, a resident of Lucky Marwat; however, the identity of the third terrorist is yet to be ascertained. All three killed terrorists belonged to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The TTP terrorists, who had come in the form of a suicide squad, had stormed the KPO, but police and other law enforcement agencies took timely action and killed all three of them. Four people, including two policemen and a Sindh Rangers sub-inspector, were martyred in the operation that lasted over four hours. Eighteen other people, including police and paramilitary soldiers, were also wounded in the attack.

The Sindh Counter Terrorism Department registered a case with sections of terrorism and murder. The Bomb Disposal Squad also submitted a report to the police high-ups. The report said two suicide jackets, eight hand grenades and three grenade launchers were seized after the operation.

According to the BDS, the grenades thrown by the terrorists did not explode and were found in a useless state. The suicide jackets weighed about 8 to 10 kilograms, and did not have an electronic system and were made in a detonator style.

Police officials said the weapons used by the terrorists were being sent for forensic examination to the Sindh Police Forensic Division, and the cell-phones found on the TTP men were also being sent for forensics.

Sindh Police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon formed the probing team. The chairman of the committee is DIG Zulfiqar Ali Larik of CTD Sindh while the members are DIG Irfan Ali Baloch of South Range, DIG Muhammad Karim Khan of CIA Karachi, SSP Tariq Nawaz of Operations, CTD Sindh, and DSP Raja Umer Khattab Incharge Investigation CTD Karachi.

Talking to The News, a senior member of the inquiry team said they had learnt that the vehicle used by the terrorists was owned by a person residing in Landhi. However, he had sold the vehicle to another person a few years back, and search was underway for the buyer. Moreover, the investigators were conducting geo fencing to track the movement of terrorists so as to fine major leads in the probe. He said they were also investigating if there was an inside job.The team member said two of the killed terrorists had been identified while the identity of the third was yet to be determined as they had not found any record of him in the National Database Registration Authority. He said they were using other means to ascertain the identity of the third terrorist.

The funeral prayers of the martyred cops and Rangers troop were attended by the chief minister, police and Rangers high-ups and also the corps commander Karachi. The funeral prayers of martyred policemen Ghulam Abbas and Saeed were offered at the Central Police Office.

The CM also attended the funeral of Amjad Masih, a sanitary worker of the KPO. He also laid wreaths on the caskets of the martyrs.He said: “We are proud of our police force which bravely killed the terrorists and we value the sacrifice of Amjad Masih, the khakrob of the KPO. Amjad Masih proved by sacrificing his life that every citizen of ours is ready to fight the enemies. One policeman will be buried in Larkana and the other in Karachi. Amjad Masih’s body will be sent to Faisalabad.” A minute’s silence was observed for Amjad Masih.

President Dr Arif Alvi also visited the Jinnah Hospital. He lauded the bravery of officers and personnel, said a press release issued by the President Secretariat’s press wing.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said the funeral prayers of Sub-Inspector Taimur Shahzad, who was martyred during an operation in the attack, were offered at the Sindh Rangers Headquarters at Jinnah Courts. The chief minister, corps commander Karachi, Sindh IGP, Karachi Police chief, army, Rangers, senior police officers and youths attended the funeral prayers. The body of the martyr was sent to his native village in Shujaabad, Multan, for burial. AFP adds: Taliban warned of more attacks against law enforcement officers, a day after four people were killed when a suicide squad stormed a police compound in Karachi.

”The policemen should stay away from our war with the slave army, otherwise the attacks on the safe havens of the top police officers will continue,” the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan said on Saturday in an English-language statement. “We want to warn the security agencies once again to stop martyring innocent prisoners in fake encounters; otherwise, the intensity of future attacks will be more severe.”A senior investigator told AFP the terrorists entered into the police headquarters compound through the rear entrance which is used by the residents of the police colony.