PESHAWAR: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Friday said the Peshawar Police Lines blast was planned in Afghanistan by the Jamatul Ahrar group of proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Also read: In Pictures: Deadly suicide bombing in Peshawar mosque
It may be recalled that a powerful explosion ripped through a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Line area on Jan 30 during Zuhr prayers, killing 84 people and injuring 235 people — mostly police officers.
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In a presser held, Additional Inspector General of Counter Terrorism Department, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Shaukat Abbas revealed that the department has traced both the mastermind Ghaffar alias Salman and handler of the suicide bomber that attacked the mosque in Police Lines Peshawar on 30 January 2023.
According to him the attack was planned in Afghanistan by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s Jamaat Ul Ahrar group, while suicide bomber Imtiaz alias Torashipa alias Qari hailed from Kunduz province of Afghanistan and was trained in the country’s Akhtunkay area under the supervision of Molvi Abdul Basir.
“An additional suicide bomber was ready to attack in case of failure of the first bomber,” he said while adding that the mentioned “mastermind is still present in Afghanistan while 5-6 suicide bombers are still training in the Akhtunkay training camp in Afghanistan.”
