Mastermind of Karachi airport suicide attack arrested: minister

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjhar on Monday claimed that security agencies and police have apprehended four suspects, including the mastermind of the suicide attack targeting Chinese engineers near Karachi airport.

He said that a woman, a rickshaw driver and a bank employee were among those who have been detained in connection with the suicide attack.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Sindh Police Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon in Karachi, Lanjhar talked about the attack, in which three people, including two Chinese engineers, were killed, and 11 others were injured. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Sindh home minister identified the suicide bomber as Shah Fahad, explaining that the bomb detonated as soon as he pulled the handbrake of his vehicle, which left only parts of his body intact.

He said that his fingerprints confirmed his identity, and CCTV footage provided images of the bomber and two facilitators. A chassis fragment of the vehicle used in the attack was also recovered from the scene, he said.

Lanjhar said that the attackers bought the vehicle from a showroom for Rs7.1 million, paid through a bank transfer originating from the Hub area via an account under Faisal Ali’s name. Excise data showed that two individuals, Farhan and Sharif, were involved in the car purchase, with the bomber accompanying them, he said.

Lanjhar said that a bank employee named Bilal was among those financing the attack. Authorities suspect that the car was driven to a location beyond Hub, where it was outfitted with explosives, including 30 to 40 kilograms of RDX and Pent, the latter reportedly used during World Wa -II.

In a bid to evade scrutiny, he said, the attackers placed a woman, identified as Gul Nisa, in the car, allowing them to pass checkpoints undetected. The woman has since been detained and was under investigation, the Sindh home minister said.

Lanjhar said that the primary suspect, identified as Javed, orchestrated the attack logistics, conducted reconnaissance, and alerted the team when Chinese nationals were coming out of the airport.

He said that three other suspects, Danish, Gul Rehman and Bashir Zaid still remain at large.

Also read: Karachi airport attack orchestrated with help of foreign spy agency: CTD report

Lanjhar disclosed that Javed was identified via CCTV and monitored the convoy, recording a final video from near Frere Hall before informing his associates of the target’s location. He was apprehended in Winder.

He said that Rehman is reportedly the head of BLA operations, while Zaid, based overseas, oversees its activities.

“The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other agencies are pursuing Danish, and a new figure known as Vishney, whose identity is believed to be fictitious, has also emerged,” he said.

Regarding the bomber, Lanjhar said that he had no criminal background, suggesting that banned groups were preying on vulnerable youth.

He said that during the investigation it transpired that  university students from Karachi and Balochistan were being lured for extremist activities. He urged vigilance from university administrations and student organizations.

“We belong to a culture that holds women in high regard,” Lanjhar said, criticizing the BLA for its tactics of exploiting women for manipulative ends.

He also announced recommendation for a reward of Rs50 million along with Quaid-e-Azam and Pakistan Police medals, for the team that tirelessly worked to probe the case.