PESHAWAR: The counter-terrorism department on Wednesday denied the existence of Tehreek-i-Jihad Pakistan and claimed that the TJP was an alternative name for the proscribed militant outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“The TJP is a name used by the banned TTP. Though the banned TTP disassociated itself from the July 25 suicide bombing in Ali Masjid area of Khyber tribal district, we [department] have evidence of its involvement in the blast,” CTD deputy inspector-general Sohail Khalid told a presser here.

Mr Khalid said that the CTD arrested Abuzar, facilitator of the suicide bomber, following the explosion from Ali Masjid area and the department had identified the banned TTP’s associates in Afghanistan.

He said that the TTP had denied carrying out the suicide attack but the “technical” evidence available with the CTD established the involvement of the militant outfit’s shura (advisory body).

Official says there’s evidence of TTP’s involvement in Khyber suicide bombing

The CTD official also said that there was intelligence about the July 25 attack from sources in the TTP.

He said that the mastermind of the suicide bombing, Ayub Shah, a resident of Shahkas area of Khyber district, was currently present in Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Mr Khalid said that during investigation, the CTD found out that the suicide bomber had illegally crossed into Pakistan with the help of Ayub alias Salahuddin alias Umar alias Khalid Mansoor, a resident of Shahkas, Kashif alias Abu Bakkar, a resident of Landi Kotal area, who is currently in Afghanistan, and Abdullah Shalmani.

He added that the uniforms of police and security personnel were recovered by the CTD during raids and that it seemed that the suicide bomber wanted to target a compound of the police or security forces.

The official said that another suicide bomber was “supposed” to reach Peshawar but he couldn’t make it to the provincial capital.

Mr Khalid said that the militant Islamic State group’s local affiliate, Islamic State Khorasan Province, was involved in the Bajaur suicide attack in a JUI-F workers’ convention on July 30 and the department had arrested several people over it.

He said that the banned TTP and ISKP were active in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The TTP is involved in the last four bomb blasts in the province,” he said, adding that the militants involved in attacks on a complex in Bara area of Khyber district and Hayatabad area of Peshawar have been arrested.

The official said the CTD had traced the vehicle, which the suicide bomber and his handler hired for Rs1,000 for reaching the blast site from Sultankhel area of Khyber district.

He added that the driver of the vehicle had been arrested and was being interrogated.

Mr Khalid said that all those behind the Ali Masjid suicide attack had been killed.

A statement later issued by the CTD read that the department arrested eight people after seizing two Kalashnikovs, one M-4, a suicide jacket, a pistol, rounds, Afghan documents, improvised explosive device material, Afghan Sim cards, memory cards, jihadi material, and other important documents.

It said the suicide bomber and his handler came from near Ali Masjid area and that the CTD recovered a cap, clothes of the suicide bomber, and ball bearings from there.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2023