KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department arrested four suspected militants in two separate operations in Karachi on Tuesday, recovering hand grenades and a pistol from their possession.
Officials said the suspects belonged to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), and that the arrested men were planning attacks on sensitive locations and law-enforcement offices in the city.
Three BLA suspects held on Isphahani Road
In the first operation, the CTD, working with federal and civilian intelligence agencies, arrested three suspects affiliated with the BLA at a public park on Abul Hasan Isphahani Road.
The arrested men were identified as Ghulam Yasin, Aftab Ahmed and Shoaib. Police said the arrests followed a tip-off that trained BLA militants were preparing an operation in the area.
Four hand grenades and a pistol were recovered from the suspects. According to preliminary investigation, the men had planned grenade attacks on sensitive locations and a law-enforcement office in Karachi.
Officials further alleged that the suspects were involved in targeted killings and attacks on Frontier Corps and Customs mobile units in Balochistan.
Sources said the three men had received training and were moved into Karachi specifically to carry out the planned grenade attacks. Investigators are now trying to establish how the suspects entered the city, where they stayed, and who provided them shelter and transport.
SRA suspect arrested near Korangi Causeway
In a separate operation near the Korangi Causeway stream, the CTD arrested an alleged SRA militant, identified as Asif Ali alias Asif Sindhi. A hand grenade was recovered from him.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly admitted that he had reconnoitred a foreign national, a police deputy superintendent, a railway track and the residence of a prominent political figure.
Police said Asif told investigators he was planning attacks on law-enforcement offices in Karachi on the instructions of his commander.
Karachi’s continuing militant threat
Security officials say Karachi remains a priority target for separatist groups because of its economic importance and the presence of sensitive installations. The CTD has stepped up intelligence-based raids across the city in recent months, often acting on information shared by federal agencies.
The pattern is not new. Militant networks have repeatedly tried to use Karachi as a base for high-profile attacks, and several plots have been foiled at the planning stage. In Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security forces have faced similar threats; in Bannu earlier this month, 13 hostages were freed after tribal elders negotiated with militants holding them here.
Analysts say the recovery of hand grenades in Tuesday’s raids points to plans for attacks designed to cause maximum disruption rather than targeted assassinations alone. Police have not yet said whether the four suspects are linked to any single network beyond their respective groups.
Cases registered, probe under way
Police have registered cases against the arrested suspects and shifted them to an undisclosed location for further questioning. Officials said the investigation would focus on the suspects’ networks and any facilitators in the city.
The arrests come amid a continuing CTD-led crackdown on militant networks. Earlier this month, the CTD killed 10 militants in an operation in Barkhan, Balochistan here, while a joint CTD-police operation in Tank left three terrorists dead here.
Karachi has seen repeated counter-terror operations this year as law-enforcement agencies move against groups involved in targeted killings and attacks on security personnel. In one recent incident in the city, two brothers were shot dead at Gulbai Chowrangi, a case that also drew a strong police response here.
Officials said further arrests were possible as the investigation widened. The suspects are expected to be presented before a court for remand in the coming days.
