LAHORE: Security agencies in a joint intelligence-based operation smashed an alleged terrorist network reportedly sponsored by the Indian intelligence agency.

The Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and the country’s premier intelligence agency’s counter-terrorism wing arrested five suspected terrorists from a warehouse in Shahdara around 3pm on Wednesday, just hours before they were allegedly scheduled to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) in front of the Peoples House Gate of the Civil Secretariat at the time of its closing.

A forensic analysis of the suspects’ mobile phones detected their alleged links with the Indian Research and Analysis Wing’s officials present in Afghanistan, who were the alleged masterminds behind the plan.

Five suspects with ‘RAW links’ held from Shahdara hours before planned attack on Secretariat

The suspects were identified as Samarqand and Abdul Rehman, the network leaders, and facilitators Imran, Wazir Gul and Asmatullah. They were tasked with carrying out a bomb blast in Lahore by an Afghan handler using the alias of Qari Mujeebur Rehman, who was said to be an official of the Afghan intelligence agency, National Directorate of Security.

A CTD spokesperson told Dawn that Mujeebur Rehman had visited Pakistan about three months back. He claimed the joint operation had begun six months ago around June when a source was planted among Afghan refugees who provided information that Abdul Rehman and Samarkand were involved in suspicious activities as they had been making frequent visits to Afghanistan.

What made them look suspicious was the sudden availability of money and possession of luxury items. “The suspects were children of Afghan refugees and originally belonged to Jalalabad, Afghanistan but were raised in Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.

The national agencies placed the suspects under extensive human and electronic surveillance besides tasking the source with gaining their trust. Later, it was found that both had been influenced by the content shared by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan on social media and its websites.

Their last visit to Afghanistan was about two months ago and after returning they started staying in Shahdara, did a recce of the Civil Secretariat, Lahore High Court and a church on The Mall. They made videos and took photographs of these spots and extensively used their mobile phones for contacting Afghan phone numbers.

The spokesperson said that on Tuesday the agencies received credible information that the two main suspects had received an IED made up of explosives fitted in a cooler, a hand grenade, pistols, ammunition, sketches of the Civil Secretariat and Lahore High Court, fake Pakistani identity cards, Afghan identity document (tazkira), mobile phones containing videos and photos, and Pakistani and Afghan currency. These items were seized during Wednesday’s operation.

During interrogation, the spokesperson claimed, the suspects disclosed that during his visit to Pakistan, Mujeebur Rehman had tasked them with carrying out a terrorist activity in Lahore as early as possible by planting the IED at Civil Secretariat during rush hour. “After returning to Afghanistan, Qari Mujeeb met these two suspects in Jalalabad, finalised the plan and arranged funds for it,” the spokesperson said, adding that they had several meetings there where Mujeeb was accompanied by Indian officials.

“According to the suspects, the money was provided to Mujeeb by Indian officials,” he claimed.

The suspects were then sent to Lahore as per a deal under which both were paid 200,000 Afghani currency in advance, while a million in the same currency was to be paid after the plan was executed.

“Some very important documents were recovered, including an Indian visa application, from the terrorists’ hideout,” the spokesperson said. This could mean that the alleged Afghan handlers had wanted them to visit India for further training after this activity.

The spokesperson said that a full-scale transnational investigation had been launched and more disclosures were expected from the suspects regarding their network and masterminds sitting in Afghanistan.

A case was registered in CTD Police Station on charges of terrorism, possession of explosives and weapons for commission of offences of terrorism and getting funds for terrorism financing, he concluded.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2020