KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, on Thursday claimed to have arrested two “dangerous terrorists”.

The paramilitary force with the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department conducted an intelligence-based action in Bismillah Colony of Orangi Town and detained two suspects named Mansoor Ahmed, alias Bilal, and Fazal Ghani, alias Shafiq. They belonged to a banned outfit, said a spokesperson.

With their names included in the Red Book prepared by the CTD, they were affiliated with the Ustad Aslam group of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

During the initial probe, the held suspects “confessed” to their involvement in several acts of terrorism.

A Rangers spokesperson in a statement said that Mansoor Ahmed was a highly trained militant who had gone to Afghanistan and Waziristan several times. He was the chief of the Ustad Aslam-led group of the TTP in Karachi and was a close aide of Jundullah chief Saqib, alias Anjum, and TTP (Swat)’s militant wing chief Salman, alias Yasir.

The Sindh government had announced Rs3 million for his arrest.

Another held suspect, Fazal Ghani, also belonged to the same group of the TTP who had been involved in terrorism with Mansoor.

“He was a trained militant who tended to disappear in the Chaman area of Balochistan and Spin Boldak area of Afghanistan after committing terror acts in Karachi.”

He was a close aide of Jundullah group chief Saqib, alias Anjum. The Sindh government had announced Rs2m for his arrest.

The Rangers statement said that on May 15, 2011 a suspected militant, Alauddin, was arrested in an injured condition after an encounter with police and Rangers who was then admitted for treatment to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.

Both held militants with other accomplices held the policemen hostage inside the hospital and took away their injured accomplice.

On May 25, 2015, the Rangers conducted an operation in Shah Mohalla of Faqir Colony of Orangi Town and during an exchange of fire, three accomplices of the held suspects — Abdul Salam, alias Salam, Nasir Dada and Anwar Husain, alias Deewana, were killed while Arshad, alias Khalid, and Shahzada, alias Abid, were arrested.

During the said encounter, both arrested suspects had escaped.

The Rangers had seized three ‘BM missiles’, 55 kilograms of explosive material, four Kalashnikovs, eight pistols, an LMG, 10 hand grenades, and other arms and ammunition from their home.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2020