Intelligence agencies thwart major attack on sensitive installation in Islamabad on Defence Day

Intelligence agencies thwarted a major terrorist attack targeting a sensitive installation in Islamabad on the eve of Defence Day, arresting a suicide bomber and several facilitators before they could carry out the assault.

According to officials, the man responsible for planning the attack previously worked at a hotel in Islamabad before returning to his father’s home in Qila Abdullah.

He had been serving as a commander of a terrorist group operating in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

The suicide bomber, identified as an Afghan national, had worked as a laborer in Kabul before joining a major terrorist organisation.

Investigations revealed that he received training at the Al-Farooq Fidai Camp in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, under the supervision of Mukhlis Yar (aka Haji Lala), a South Waziristan resident and close associate of Noor Wali Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud.

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Both the commander and the bomber were graduates of the same training camp.

The commander’s initial responsibility was to scout sensitive locations across the twin cities. In June, he traveled to Afghanistan, where the final target in Islamabad was selected. 

The planned attack bore a striking resemblance to the assault on the Bannu Cantonment. In that incident, multiple attackers arrived in vehicles, while three others engaged the police.

Authorities believe six more suicide bombers were meant to join the assault, but thanks to timely intelligence and swift action by law enforcement, their deadly plot was foiled.