Additional Inspector General KP Shaukat Abbas has said that a key suspect behind the deadly bombing in Peshawar in January has been arrested.
Addressing a presser on Friday, Abbas said that the Counter Terrorism Department has apprehended the key suspect, and attributed the attack to a splinter faction of the outlawed TTP.
Elaborating, he said that the terror outfit’s group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar was behind the attack. “The bomber is known as ‘Qari’ in the TTP circles,” he maintained.
The official further said that the suspect taken into custody was a “backup suicide attacker”, designated to be used if the the first bomber assigned would fail.
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He further said that the man was identified as Imtiaz Khan and was detained by the department, with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies.
The additional IG didn’t reveal the site where the suspect was apprehended, but said he received training in Afghanistan’s Kunduz area.
Mastermind traced
The official said law enforcers have identified “mastermind” and a “handler” linked with the bombers, and the police were currently in efforts to apprehend them.
The mastermind has been identified as Ghaffar alias Salman, he added. “We have found that Ghaffar was in contact with the suicide bomber on the day of the incident.”
“We are trying to apprehend the handler and mastermind of the attack,” the additional IG said.
On Jan 30, at least 95 people embraced martyrdom, while over 221 people were injured when a bomber exploded him up in a mosque situated near Peshawar’s Police Lines area.
The attacker was present in the front row during Zohr prayers when he exploded himself, injuring dozens of faithful.
Over the past few months, the country’s security situation has worsened, with proscribed terrorist groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic State group, Hafiz Gul Bahadur (HGB) network, and Baloch separatist groups executing attacks with impunity across Pakistan.
The TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in late November 2022, and ordered its militants to carry out attacks across Pakistan.
