Two LeJ terrorists ‘involved in 2012 imambargah attack’ arrested

The Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) on Thursday claimed to have arrested two operatives of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) allegedly involved in carrying out an attack on an imambargah situated in the city’s Orangi Town area in 2012. 

AVCC SSP Abdullah Ahmed said a team conducted a raid at Frontier Colony, Orangi Town, and arrested the two suspects, who were later identified as Qari Tayyab Zaman alias Maulana and Abdul Ghafar alias Mullah aka Ustaad.

SSP Ahmed said the raid was carried out on Thursday morning after an informer told the AVCC about arrival of the two notorious terrorists in the area.  One 30 bore pistol, five rounds and one hand grenade were found in their possession, he added. 

Sharing details of the preliminary interrogation, SSP Ahmed said the two men had confessed to attacking an imambargah situated at Qasba Colony, Orangi Town No 2 ½, in 2012. An FIR no 493/2012 under Section ¾ Explosive Act was registered with the Peerabad police station.

The SSP Ahmed a jihadi organisation had provided training to suspect Abdul Ghafar, while an FIR no 71/2017 under Section 4/5 Explosive Act and another FIR no 72/17 under Section 23 (i) A (SAA) had been registered against the suspects with the AVCC police station.

The SSP anticipated that the suspects would reveal more information during further interrogations in the days to come.

Following the arrests, Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) DIG Saqib Ismail Memon lauded the raiding team and announced issuing certificates of recognition for all members.

The arrest come two days after the CTD police rounded up two alleged terrorists, affiliated with the proscribed LeJ, who were planning to carry out target killings in Muharram. In a statement, CTD Investigation SSP Naveed Ahmed Khawaja said the suspects – identified as Muhammad Abdullah and Adnan Ahmed – were apprehended during a raid near Masjid-e-Qaba situated at Bandhani Colony, Liaquatabad.

The raid was carried out by Karachi CTD Investigation In-Charge Chaudhry Gulam Sarwar under supervision of SSP Khawaja. Three 9mm pistols, 15 bullets and a motorcycle, bearing registration number KGF-0313, were found in the suspects’ possession. 

According to SSP Khawaja, apprehensions regarding a possible surge in targeted killings based on ethnic and sectarian affiliations in the metropolis had pushed the CTD to undertake special search operations in various parts of Karachi.

"There were reports that banned jihadist and sectarian outfits were planning to carry out targeted killings of members of their rival sects during the month of Muharram," he said. During a preliminary interrogation, the suspects confessed their involvement in sectarian killings in the city, he added.

 “They were planning more killings during Muharram,” the CTD SSP claimed. He said the CTD was expecting more disclosures during further interrogations. On August 7, the CTD claimed to have foiled a terror bid in Karachi by arresting four suspected terrorists and killing three others during operations in different parts of the city.