ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said that suicide attack targeting the district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area was successfully thwarted on November 11.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the minister revealed that terrorists had specifically targeted the outskirts of Islamabad, but timely intelligence-based operations by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) neutralised the threat. Within 48 hours of the attempted attack, four terrorists were killed in follow-up operations, he added.
“The suicide bomber could not reach his high-value target,” Tarar stated, adding that the attacker belonged to Nangarhar province of Afghanistan and was part of a group comprising Afghan nationals.
The minister confirmed that the entire conspiracy was masterminded by TTP supreme commander Noor Wali Mehsud, who is based in Kabul, and who personally issued orders for the suicide mission. The arrested terrorists had direct links with Khawarij operating from Afghan soil and had received training there.
In a major breakthrough, arrested terrorist Sajidullah Sheena, in his confessional statement, revealed that he was contacted by a Bajaur-origin TTP commander and instructed to travel to Afghanistan. Upon reaching Kabul via Jalalabad, he was given a complete briefing on the Islamabad operation by Qari Usman. Sheena further confessed that he had collected the suicide jacket from a graveyard in Peshawar before proceeding to the capital.
All members of the terror cell coordinated with each other through a single mobile application, the minister said.
“Significant progress has been made in the investigation of the G-11 Islamabad court attack, and today we have placed all facts before the nation and the world,” Tarar stated.
Praising the security forces, the information minister said the Pakistan Army is giving unparallel sacrifices in the war against terrorism. “Because of timely action, we have been saved from a major tragedy,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that twelve people were killed and 36 were injured on Tuesday in a suicide blast outside the district and sessions court building in Islamabad’s G-11 area, according to officials.
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