SUKKUR, March 9: Police on Friday claimed they had arrested a suicide bombing suspect having links with a banned outfit near Thermal Power Colony late last night and found a hand-grenade, 1.5 kg explosives, seven detonators, a switch and a suicide bombing vest in his possession.

Sukkur DPO Mazhar Nawaz Sheikh disclosed at a press conference that police had been on the lookout for the suspected suicide bomber Jalil Ahmed Ababaki for quite some time after his gang members who were held in Sukkur on Feb 16 revealed his name and federal agencies tipped off about his whereabouts.

Mr Ababaki had links with Usman alias Saifullah Group, which belonged to a banned outfit of Balochistan and the government of Balochistan had announced Rs1 million money on his head, he said.

He said that Mr Ababaki’s gang had confessed to attacking Police Training Centre in Quetta on June 8, 2003, killing DSP Nisar Kazmi and some Shia leaders and carrying out several failed attacks on Allama Sajid Naqvi.

Police produced a masked man before the journalists, who they said was the alleged suicide bombing suspect but did not allowed them to ask any questions. They also showed them arms and explosives, which they claimed to have found in his possession.—PPI