Pakistan: CTD arrests mastermind of suicide attacks in Quetta

Quetta: Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has said that the mastermind behind some suicide attacks and blasts has been arrested in Quetta.
The suspect has been identified as Nazimuddin alias Khalid and was arrested while he was carrying an explosive-laden motorcycle to conduct a terrorist attack in Quetta, Dawn reported on Sunday.

The suspect had also been allegedly involved in other terrorist activities in different areas of Quetta.

“The accused and his group were involved in 10 terrorist attacks, including a suicide bombing at the vehicle of the deputy inspector general police telecommunication Hamid Shakeel in Chaman Housing Scheme,” the spokesman for the CTD said.

The spokesman further said that CTD received a tip-off about the plan of a terrorist group that they were going to park an explosive-laden motorcycle to attack their target. After this, another team was formed to trace the terrorists.

During the search operation, the team found an improvised explosive device (IED) in the motorbike. The suspect was taken into custody and recovered a 9mm pistol from his possession.

According to the suspect, he and eight other members of the gang carried out the suicide attack on Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hamid Shakeel on Nov 11, 2017, suicide attack on the Rapid Response Group (RRG) truck of Balochistan police at GPO Chowk on January 19, 2018, FC vehicle near Dufferin Hospital on Mecongi Road on January 7, 2020.

Other attacks carried out by the group included a suicide attack in the parking lot of Serena Hotel on April 21, 2021, a motorcycle IED attack on an army truck near BA Mall on July 1, 2021, an IED attack outside Serena Hotel on Aug 8, 2021, another motorcycle IED attack on a truck on Balochistan University Chowk on Oct 18, 2021, a motorcycle IED attack outside Kandahari Bazaar Bukhari Centre on Dec 18, 2021, and an attack on Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam ideologue outside Science College main gate on Dec 30, 2021, Dawn reported.

The spokesman further said that the accused during the interrogation disclosed that he and his gang were also planning attacks on the high court, a sessions court, and police.