Terrorists, mastermind of DI Khan suicide bombing arrested: CTD

PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday arrested nine terrorists including the mastermind and seven facilitators involved in the deadly attack on the compound of security forces in Dera Ismail Khan that left at least 23 soldiers martyred earlier this month.

According to the CTD documents available with Geo News, the mastermind involved in the terrorist attack belongs to Daraban area of DI Khan while six terrorists involved in the attack hail from Afghanistan.

As per the documents, Hasan alias Shakir, the terrorist who carried out the suicide attack, belongs to Afghanistan, and released a video before the attack, while the national identity card and domicile of the other suicide bomber killed in the attack, Sifat Ullah Marwat, also established that the attacker belongs to the neighbouring country.

Geo News has obtained documents of the suicide bomber Sifat Ullah, while the father of the suicide bomber Sifat Ullah has also confirmed his son’s connection with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban-led Afghan government).

According to the documents, five terrorists of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Gandapur group were also embroiled in this attack. US-made weapons and ammunition were recovered as well from the terrorists.

At least 23 soldiers embraced martyrdom and many others were injured when six suicide bombers rammed an explosive-laden truck into a military base in the troubled Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan district on December 12, 2023, according to security officials.