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How the Taliban network made inroads into Karachi - thenews.com.pk
Karachi
For long, Karachi only served as the preferred choice of the militants to rest and to recuperate after weary guerrilla wars in the north-western frontier. But soon they realised the massive financial potential of the port city to fund their activities across Pakistan.
After chasing out political workers and sowing fear in the hearts of citizens and law enforcers alike, the militants have established their writ in most outskirts in the largest city of Pakistan. The militant outfit has established, operates extortion rackets, robs banks and frequently bombs adversaries.
In Karachi, the TTP has a network of area-wise chiefs. Khan Zaman Mehsud and Qari Yar Mohammed operate out of Ittehad Town; Sher Khan Mehsud in Sultanabad, Manghopir; Yaqoob Mehsud from Rasheedabad, Baldia; Naimatullah Mehsud Ameer and Saeed Alam of Sohrab Goth. Alam is also the in-charge of the TTP’s target killing unit.
Gulnar Mehsud works for the TTP in Janjhal Goth while his brother Sher Mehsud is involved in target killings. Ismail Mehsud operates out of Manghopir while Ijaz Mehsud and Gul Badhshah Mehsud are involved in training militants. Mufti Jawed, Gul Younus and Fareed Mehsud work from Lyari. For extortion, the TTP network in Waziristan has assigned Pareshaan Mehsud and Rehmatullah alias Baba Mehsud from Sohrab Goth.
The information has been collected by intelligence agencies after many of these TTP activists left for Waziristan from Karachi following the killing of Wali-ur-Rehman. A few of them also changed their hideouts to avoid arrest, intelligence sources told The News.
Terror links
And if political and turf wars were not enough for Karachi – wracked by violence, killings and arson attacks in recent decades – the group has linked up with the deeply entrenched and effective networks of other militant and sectarian outfits, especially the dreaded Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).
LeJ is on top of the list among the militant groups active in Pakistan, according to credible intelligence sources. The banned sectarian outfit has been routinely involved in carrying out deadly attacks against Shiites in Hangu and Dera Ismail Khan. The group also claimed the responsibility of killing Peshawar CCPO Malik Saad in a recent suicide bombing.
In Karachi, the LeJ has been widely believed to have wiped out the entire leadership of Sunni Tehreek in a deadly bomb blast at Nishter Park. The outfit has also frequently targeted Crime Investigation Department police, secret agency officers and even prosecution witnesses.
Tracing back
The recent surge in terrorist activities across Pakistan, especially Karachi and Quetta, has a long, compelling history etched among a battery of militant outfits and international politics.
The Pakistani Taliban are now commanded by Hakimullah Mehsud and second-in-command Saeed Mehsud, who was recently appointed by the grand jirga after the killing of Wali-ur-Rehman, who was routinely involved in terrorist attacks across Karachi. When Wali was alive Saeed was the TTP deputy commander with the duty to train militants.
A deadly year
The year 2013 started off with a deadly explosion on January 1 near Ayesha Manzil, a short distance away from a political procession, killing four party supporters and injuring several others.
An investigation team headed by Chaudhry Aslam solved the case by arresting Swat-based militants Mohtamim Khan, Tauseef, Ayub alias Bhaijan and Bilal. The suspects also confessed to killing female anti-polio workers in Ittehad Town a few days after the Ayesha Manzil blast.
Mohtamim Khan had also trained a disabled would-be suicide bomber named Saifullah to attack the MQM headquarters Nine Zero. The group had prepared a vehicle-based improvised explosive device (VBIED) packed with 60kg explosives.
On January 30, a cooler bomb exploded near the Indus Plaza in Sohrab Goth, claiming the lives of three people.
An Anti-Extremist Cell (AEC) police team headed by Chaudhry Aslam arrested three TTP militants, including Inamullah alias Maula and Shafiq alias Bashir, for the attack and also seized a VBIED packed with 300kg explosives.
On March 3, a massive explosion in Abbas Town left more than 80 people dead and over a hundred injured.
Again, Chaudhry Aslam solved the case within three weeks as his AEC team arrested Khairuddin, Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Shafiq, Inamullah, Alam Sher and Irfan associated with the TTP.
The arrested men admitted to have carried out the deadly attack and disclosed that the mastermind of the blast, Gul Aslam, had rented a car from Hub and bought explosives from Balochistan.
Gul Aslam was killed during a shootout with a police team in Surjani Town, where another VBIED containing 150kg explosives was seized.
On March 11, another bomb explosion at a paan shop in Landhi killed the shop owner Shamsher and his son Ilyas and injured eight others. The AEC arrested Inamullah alias Maula and Basheer Mehsud for the attack. Gul Aslam was again the mastermind of the attack.
On January 24, two bombs went off one after the other, killing SDPO Kamal Khan Mangan and Assistant Sub-Inspector Akber Hussain.
Chaudhry Aslam arrested TTP commander Asad Ali, who confessed to have carried out the attack with the help of his accomplices Tariq, Sajjad Langra and Mustafa ******.
Province-wide linkages
Another TTP group run by Qari Zafar operating from Wana (Azam Warsak) has expanded its network across Sindh. The same group had targeted the Marriot hotel in 2005. In Sindh, Zafar’s men Anwer-ul-Haq and Faizan alias Naveed were arrested by the Crime Investigation Department with five alleged suicide bombers.
Across Sindh, the TTP has linked up with LeJ with the main men being Rahimullah alias Naeem, Qari Abid of Mehsud group and Amaan alias Jamal. Their most high-profile collaborative attack came on July 14, 2006, when they killed Allama Hassan Turabi.
In 2006 also, LeJ chiefs Daud Badini and Usman Kurd were arrested by the CID from Karachi. The wanted terrorists were involved in suicide attacks on Imambargahs and Ashura processions in 2003-04 in collaboration with the local TTP commanders.
After a few months, however, Kurd escaped from the custody of Balochistan police.
Tracing the history of attacks from 2002 to 2013, most of the suicide bombings were carried out in the month of May.
The first terrorist attack came on May 8, 2002 at Sheraton Hotel, where 17 people were killed and 22 more injured. On May 14, 2004, the terrorists struck at the US Consulate killing 12 people and injuring 45 more. Just after 17 days, a suicide bombing inside the Hyderi Imambargah on May 31, 2004, left 24 people dead and 100 injured.
All cases have been worked out and the militants involved in the suicide attacks have been arrested except the suspects of the Karsaz bomb blast at the arrival of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto. — SBP
Karachi
For long, Karachi only served as the preferred choice of the militants to rest and to recuperate after weary guerrilla wars in the north-western frontier. But soon they realised the massive financial potential of the port city to fund their activities across Pakistan.
After chasing out political workers and sowing fear in the hearts of citizens and law enforcers alike, the militants have established their writ in most outskirts in the largest city of Pakistan. The militant outfit has established, operates extortion rackets, robs banks and frequently bombs adversaries.
In Karachi, the TTP has a network of area-wise chiefs. Khan Zaman Mehsud and Qari Yar Mohammed operate out of Ittehad Town; Sher Khan Mehsud in Sultanabad, Manghopir; Yaqoob Mehsud from Rasheedabad, Baldia; Naimatullah Mehsud Ameer and Saeed Alam of Sohrab Goth. Alam is also the in-charge of the TTP’s target killing unit.
Gulnar Mehsud works for the TTP in Janjhal Goth while his brother Sher Mehsud is involved in target killings. Ismail Mehsud operates out of Manghopir while Ijaz Mehsud and Gul Badhshah Mehsud are involved in training militants. Mufti Jawed, Gul Younus and Fareed Mehsud work from Lyari. For extortion, the TTP network in Waziristan has assigned Pareshaan Mehsud and Rehmatullah alias Baba Mehsud from Sohrab Goth.
The information has been collected by intelligence agencies after many of these TTP activists left for Waziristan from Karachi following the killing of Wali-ur-Rehman. A few of them also changed their hideouts to avoid arrest, intelligence sources told The News.
Terror links
And if political and turf wars were not enough for Karachi – wracked by violence, killings and arson attacks in recent decades – the group has linked up with the deeply entrenched and effective networks of other militant and sectarian outfits, especially the dreaded Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).
LeJ is on top of the list among the militant groups active in Pakistan, according to credible intelligence sources. The banned sectarian outfit has been routinely involved in carrying out deadly attacks against Shiites in Hangu and Dera Ismail Khan. The group also claimed the responsibility of killing Peshawar CCPO Malik Saad in a recent suicide bombing.
In Karachi, the LeJ has been widely believed to have wiped out the entire leadership of Sunni Tehreek in a deadly bomb blast at Nishter Park. The outfit has also frequently targeted Crime Investigation Department police, secret agency officers and even prosecution witnesses.
Tracing back
The recent surge in terrorist activities across Pakistan, especially Karachi and Quetta, has a long, compelling history etched among a battery of militant outfits and international politics.
The Pakistani Taliban are now commanded by Hakimullah Mehsud and second-in-command Saeed Mehsud, who was recently appointed by the grand jirga after the killing of Wali-ur-Rehman, who was routinely involved in terrorist attacks across Karachi. When Wali was alive Saeed was the TTP deputy commander with the duty to train militants.
A deadly year
The year 2013 started off with a deadly explosion on January 1 near Ayesha Manzil, a short distance away from a political procession, killing four party supporters and injuring several others.
An investigation team headed by Chaudhry Aslam solved the case by arresting Swat-based militants Mohtamim Khan, Tauseef, Ayub alias Bhaijan and Bilal. The suspects also confessed to killing female anti-polio workers in Ittehad Town a few days after the Ayesha Manzil blast.
Mohtamim Khan had also trained a disabled would-be suicide bomber named Saifullah to attack the MQM headquarters Nine Zero. The group had prepared a vehicle-based improvised explosive device (VBIED) packed with 60kg explosives.
On January 30, a cooler bomb exploded near the Indus Plaza in Sohrab Goth, claiming the lives of three people.
An Anti-Extremist Cell (AEC) police team headed by Chaudhry Aslam arrested three TTP militants, including Inamullah alias Maula and Shafiq alias Bashir, for the attack and also seized a VBIED packed with 300kg explosives.
On March 3, a massive explosion in Abbas Town left more than 80 people dead and over a hundred injured.
Again, Chaudhry Aslam solved the case within three weeks as his AEC team arrested Khairuddin, Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Shafiq, Inamullah, Alam Sher and Irfan associated with the TTP.
The arrested men admitted to have carried out the deadly attack and disclosed that the mastermind of the blast, Gul Aslam, had rented a car from Hub and bought explosives from Balochistan.
Gul Aslam was killed during a shootout with a police team in Surjani Town, where another VBIED containing 150kg explosives was seized.
On March 11, another bomb explosion at a paan shop in Landhi killed the shop owner Shamsher and his son Ilyas and injured eight others. The AEC arrested Inamullah alias Maula and Basheer Mehsud for the attack. Gul Aslam was again the mastermind of the attack.
On January 24, two bombs went off one after the other, killing SDPO Kamal Khan Mangan and Assistant Sub-Inspector Akber Hussain.
Chaudhry Aslam arrested TTP commander Asad Ali, who confessed to have carried out the attack with the help of his accomplices Tariq, Sajjad Langra and Mustafa ******.
Province-wide linkages
Another TTP group run by Qari Zafar operating from Wana (Azam Warsak) has expanded its network across Sindh. The same group had targeted the Marriot hotel in 2005. In Sindh, Zafar’s men Anwer-ul-Haq and Faizan alias Naveed were arrested by the Crime Investigation Department with five alleged suicide bombers.
Across Sindh, the TTP has linked up with LeJ with the main men being Rahimullah alias Naeem, Qari Abid of Mehsud group and Amaan alias Jamal. Their most high-profile collaborative attack came on July 14, 2006, when they killed Allama Hassan Turabi.
In 2006 also, LeJ chiefs Daud Badini and Usman Kurd were arrested by the CID from Karachi. The wanted terrorists were involved in suicide attacks on Imambargahs and Ashura processions in 2003-04 in collaboration with the local TTP commanders.
After a few months, however, Kurd escaped from the custody of Balochistan police.
Tracing the history of attacks from 2002 to 2013, most of the suicide bombings were carried out in the month of May.
The first terrorist attack came on May 8, 2002 at Sheraton Hotel, where 17 people were killed and 22 more injured. On May 14, 2004, the terrorists struck at the US Consulate killing 12 people and injuring 45 more. Just after 17 days, a suicide bombing inside the Hyderi Imambargah on May 31, 2004, left 24 people dead and 100 injured.
All cases have been worked out and the militants involved in the suicide attacks have been arrested except the suspects of the Karsaz bomb blast at the arrival of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto. — SBP
