CTD arrests three facilitators of Gwadar suicide attack

ISLAMABAD: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Balochistan province has announced to have arrested three facilitators of the suicide attack on the Chinese engineers’ convoy last month, revealing that the mastermind of the attack is still hiding in Chahbahar city of Iran.

A proscribed terrorist outfit, Balochistan Liberation Army, had issued a statement last month, in which it had claimed responsibility for the Gwadar suicide bombing, which had killed four local children and injured a Chinese national.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had told media that the attack in Gwadar was carried out by a young suicide bomber.

The CTD officials told Pakistan Today that initial investigation has revealed that the suicide bomber who targeted the Chinese nationals in Gwadar had come from Iran.

The CTD said, “An arrested terrorists disclosed that Rasool Bux, a resident of Sheeran Chahbahar area of Iran, is the mastermind of the attack.”

“The arrested terrorist, Arif son of Dur Muhammad alias Durra, disclosed that his brother Ahmed had transported the suicide bomber from Ramin area of Iran. He [Arif] had received the suicide bomber on his arrival on August 11 and provided a place for him to stay near [the] Customs Warehouse in Gwadar,” the CTD added.

Meanwhile, according to a news outlet, the Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department announced the arrest of eight individuals suspected of involvement in terror activities from different cities of Punjab, including Lahore.

The suspects were arrested by the counter-terrorism force during operations across the province, a spokesperson for the CTD said. He added that in addition to weapons, the CTD also recovered bomb-making equipment and explosives.

Mian Abrar
Mian Abrar
The writer heads Pakistan Today's Islamabad Bureau. He has a special focus on counter-terrorism and inter-state relations in Asia, Asia Pacific and South East Asia regions. He tweets as @mian_abrar and also can be reached at [email protected]

Must Read

Nawaz Sharif IT City: A Golden Opportunity for Global Investors

In a strategic move that signals a new dawn for technology in Pakistan, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has officially greenlit...

Measles in Sindh