KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar on Monday announced the arrest of three terrorists, including the mastermind behind the deadly blast near Karachi airport that killed two out of three Chinese nationals.
“Javed alias Sami, the mastermind of the (airport) attack, and a female facilitator were arrested on the RCD highway (connecting Karachi with Quetta),” the state minister said while addressing a press conference along with the Inspector General of Police. (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon.
Last month, a massive explosion on a road near Jinnah International Airport killed a total of three people and injured at least 16 people, including another Chinese citizen. Police confirmed it was a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), which also damaged approximately 15 vehicles.
According to the report of the Bomb Disposal Team (BDS), it was determined that the terrorists used 70-80 kilograms of explosives placed in a double-cabin vehicle. As the Chinese convoy approached the airport signal, the attacker crashed his explosives-laden vehicle into the train carrying Chinese citizens.
Giving details of the incident, Lanjar said that the aim of the attack was to disrupt Pakistan-China relations and sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
He stated that the investigation revealed that Javed was directly involved in the suicide attack, and Gul Nisa helped him.
He said that crime scene investigation teams seized the chassis number and license plate of a double-cabin vehicle.
The interior minister added that the vehicle used in the attack was purchased from a showroom in Karachi for 7.1 million rupees and was transferred under the name of the suicide bomber. “The payment was transferred through a private bank in Hub city of Balochistan,” he added.
Lanjar also said that the identity of suicide bomber Shah Fahad was determined from his fingerprints “because his face and a large part of his body were burned during the explosion.”
Citing further investigation, he said the suicide bomber arrived in Karachi in the same vehicle with a woman on October 4 and stayed at a local hotel in Saddar.
The minister said that Javed, who was at the airport on the night of the attack, warned the attacker by phone when the Chinese convoy left the airport.
“When the Chinese convoy approached the airport a short distance away, the suicide attacker drove an explosive-laden vehicle near them and detonated it,” the minister said.
He also said that two suspects, identified as rickshaw driver Farhan and Muhammad Saeed, were also accomplices in the blast.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have identified three more terrorists, Danish, Gul Rehman and Bashir Zaid, who were involved in the attack and are still at large.
The provincial minister also praised the efforts of CTD and Sindh police and announced a reward of Rs 50 million to them, saying he would recommend them for Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal (QPM) and President’s Police Medal (PPM).
It is worth mentioning here that the responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Majeed Brigade of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) on social media.
