HYDERABAD: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Hyderabad police arrested a suspected member of banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan who claimed to have links in past with Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan as well, and found a hand-grenade in his possession.

A CTD spokesman said in a press release issued here on Saturday that the suspect Ammar Khan alias Qalandar Umar, a resident of Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was picked up after an intelligence-based operation near Kotri SITE on Hyderabad-Thatta road and a case was lodged against him under sections 4/5 Explosive Substance Act 1908, 34 PPC and 6/7 of ATA, 1997.

He said that the suspect was connected with TTP terrorists Zala Noor and Safdar alias Noor Zaib. Whenever they were to carry out a subversive activity they would first draw a map of the target area and conduct reconnaissance before carry out the attack, he quoted him as saying.

He said that the suspect told interrogators he had joined TTA in 2018 and received training in the use of rocket launchers, light machine guns, hand grenade and Kalashnikov in Matta Sangar, Afghanistan. Later, he joined TTP in 2023 after meeting Noor Zaib and he wanted to use the hand-grenade to spread terror, said the spokesman.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2023