Suicide bombers’ group in Karachi 11 militants arrested
KARACHI, Feb 1: Intelligence agencies have arrested 11 militants, including one linked to a Taliban commander, and hope they can lead to a group of suicide bombers operating in Karachi, officials said on Thursday.
The militants, all from banned sectarian and jihadi groups, were held at the weekend in Karachi and Hyderabad, a senior official of the Sindh interior department said.
The key suspect has ties to Baitullah Mahsud, a wanted militant commander fighting government forces in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, the official added.
“One has now been separated from the other 10 suspects after initial interrogation established his links with Mahsud,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“His arrest could lead to a group of suicide bombers brought to Karachi for terrorism,” the official added. He declined to identify the suspect, saying it could compromise the investigation.
Suicide attacks in Islamabad on Friday, Peshawar on Saturday and Dera Ismail Khan on Monday left 20 people dead.
The official said the key suspect was from Wazirstan, the most unruly of semi-autonomous tribal areas where many Taliban militants are based. “Such people are tough to break, particularly if they themselves have prepared suicide bombers,” the official said.
His interrogation may also help intelligence agencies find links to the recent suicide bombings in the country, he said.
