KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah, spokesman Shahidullah Shahid and nine others for storming the Karachi airport in June.

At least 30 people, including all 10 invaders, were killed after an all-night battle with militants who besieged Karachi airport’s old terminal.

The militants also mounted another attack on a security check post outside the airport just a day after the attack, without causing anymore casualties.

Claiming responsibility of the attack, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid had said that the attack was carried out to avenge the death of Hakimullah Mehsud, former TTP chief who was killed in a US drone strike earlier this year.

Also read: Key commander of Darra Adamkhel Taliban killed in Peshawar clash: ISPR

The Pakistan Army has escalated its offensive against local and foreign militants in the northwestern tribal region in the wake of the recent attack on Peshawar's Army Public School that killed over 140 people – most of them children.

The military offensive against militants appears to be gearing up after the country's political and military leadership agreed on a full-blown operation following the deadly Peshawar attack.

Pakistan has been battling militant groups since 2004 after its army entered northwestern tribal belt bordering Afghanistan to search for Al Qaeda fighters who had fled across the border following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

In June the army began an offensive, Operation Zarb-i-Azb, against militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal agency after the bloody raid on Karachi Airport ended faltering peace talks between the government and the Taliban.