Two TTP terrorists, would-be teen suicide bomber, arrested in Karachi

KARACHI - Police have arrested two Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, and also recovered a teenage boy, who was being trained to be a suicide bomber during a raid in Sohrab Goth, a suburb of Gadap Town in Karachi.

During a press conference, SSP Omer Shahid and SSP Chaudhry Aslam disclosed that the Anti-Extremism Cell (AEC) of the Sindh Police’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) had arrested two TTP militants, identified as Sher Rehman and Zainullah alias Bilal, during a raid and recovered the boy identified as Mohammad Salam, who was being prepared for a suicide-bombing mission, the Daily Times reported.

“We also seized a 22 kg suicide vest, three hand grenades, one Kalashnikov and one TT pistol,” the officials said.

But the arrested militants’ accomplices, including Umar Farooq, Gul Zareen and Zahir Shah, managed to escape from the scene, Aslam said.

16-year-old Salam, a student of class IX and a resident of Sohrab Goth, revealed that he had met Rehman, a militant, at a mosque, who along with his accomplices influenced him to carry out a suicide attack.

“They warned me that if I deny carrying out the attack or tell anybody about this, they would slit my throat,” said Salam, adding that it was the fear of being slaughtered that he agreed on the suicide bombing.

“I was ready to leave for South Waziristan but fortunately saved in the raid,” he added.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested militants were involved in various heinous crimes. They also worked for the banned religious outfits of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and often visited slain Baitullah Mehsud, Qari Hussain Mehsud and other prominent TTP commanders to share terror-related information.

SSP Shahid said that Rehman was a close associate of the TTP leadership, and was involved in brainwashing innocent children for suicide bombings. (ANI)