CTD arrests five militants linked to railway track blasts arrested in Karachi

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) said on Friday it had arrested five suspected militants linked to planned and past railway track explosions, in a joint operation with federal intelligence agencies in Karachi.

The CTD said the operation foiled a planned attack on railway infrastructure and led to the arrest of members of the banned Baloch Republican Guard.

The CTD said that explosives, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and weapons were recovered from the suspects, who were identified as Commander Jhanwar, Ali Jan, Noor Muhammad, Jamak and Niaz, officials said.

Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar praised the operation, commending the CTD and intelligence agencies for their efforts.

“Terrorists are enemies of humanity and actions against them are commendable,” he said in a statement.

According to investigators, the suspects confessed during interrogation to involvement in multiple attacks on railway tracks, including incidents in Jacobabad on June 18, 2025, and several explosions in Shikarpur district on July 28, October 7 (targeting the Jaffar Express), December 16, 2025, and January 26, 2026.

Officials said the group had received training in the Lehri area of Balochistan, where they were instructed in weapons handling and the planting of IEDs. Explosive materials were also sourced from the same region.

The CTD said that the suspects used family cover to transport explosives in an attempt to evade law enforcement agencies, while the network was traced using modern technical methods.

Authorities said further teams had been formed in coordination with federal agencies to arrest facilitators and other accomplices.

Investigations are ongoing, with officials expecting more disclosures from the detained suspects.