Addressing a press conference City Police chief, Waseem Ahmed said that the gang was involved in an abortive attack on an oil refinery in Keamari on the night of Sept 15.

A security guard posted at the gate of the refinery was killed by the attackers. The terrorists who had come wearing burqas were forced to flee after an exchange of fire.

The police chief said that Akhtar Zaman who headed the TTP’s Karachi chapter arranged funds for the terror network in Waziristan with the help of Samiullah alias Shamim, Fazal Karim and Munawar Khan.

The four suspects were arrested in an early morning raid in Sohrab Goth, Mr Waseem said, adding that the action had averted a major terrorist attack in the city.

The cache of arms, ammunition and explosives seized from their possession included 75 kg of RDX, two suicide vests, an anti-aircraft launcher with one rocket, 17 hand-grenades, five RPG rockets with one RPG launcher, nine detonators, seven mortar missiles, 17 magazines with 240 bullets, four AK-47 rifles and one pistol. The cache was put on display at the press conference.

The terrorists were planning a major attack but the city had been saved from what could have been a major disaster, Mr Ahmed said. He said their hit-list included names of senior government functionaries and police officers.

Agencies add:

The CCPO disclosed that the terrorists wanted to plant explosives in sensitive areas of Karachi, especially police installations on the pattern of Lahore FIA centre and Manawan police training centre.

He said that other law-enforcement agencies had also confirmed that Akhtar Zaman was the chief of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan’s Karachi chapter.

He said that due to the ongoing army operation Rah-i-Nijat in tribal areas, many terrorists had moved to urban areas of the country and wanted to create a law and order situation here.

He said the police and law-enforcement agencies would foil their nefarious designs.