Mastermind, facilitators of Rangers camp attack in Karachi arrested

The law enforcement agencies have busted the entire network of terrorists behind the June 27 attack on the Rangers camp in Karachi.

Addressing a joint press conference at the Central Police Office, Sindh Home Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar, Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho and SSP Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Irfan Bahadur shared details of the investigation.

SSP Irfan Bahadur said the alleged mastermind, Muhammad Bashir alias Qari Bashir, had been arrested along with the alleged facilitators and the suspected arms smugglers who supplied weapons to the attackers.

The attacker identified as Janan detonated a suicide vest at the entrance of the Rangers camp in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, after which three other militants entered the premises. Police claimed one of the attackers was from Bajaur while the other three were Afghan nationals.

The SSP said that the attackers received training, weapons and explosives in Afghanistan and were directed by handlers operating from across the border. He added that investigators had recovered videos allegedly showing preparations for the attack at a training camp run by the banned Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

Police further claimed that a suspect identified as Usman, who was arrested in an injured condition, admitted during interrogation to receiving training at militant camps, adding that the four attackers travelled from Afghanistan to Karachi and were transported from Hub to Korangi, where they stayed in a rented house before carrying out the attack.

Officials also claimed that some of the arrested facilitators had links with India.