CTD arrests two 'most wanted, trained terrorists' in Karachi

KARACHI: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) has claimed arrests of two ‘most wanted and trained terrorists’ of a banned outfit, Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan after an alleged gun battle at Manghopir Road of Karachi, ARY News reported on Friday.

CTD in-charge Mazhar Mashwani said in a statement that two most wanted terrorists of Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan, Agha Hassan and Muhammad Ali Raza Naqvi, were arrested after a gun battle occurred at Manghopir Road on midnight of Thursday and Friday besides the seizure of weapons.

He also named other two alleged terrorists as Karrar Hussain and Syed Ausat Ali Rizvi who fled taking advantage of the dark.

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Mazhar Mashwani said that the terrorists had been declared most wanted by different institutions. Syed Ausat Ali Rizvi was allegedly heading organised sleeper cells, he added.

The accused persons had made revelations about ‘religious’ target killing from 2011 to 2014 including Dr Mehboob, who had been murdered at Shamsi Society in 2011. The assassins of the sleeper cell had gunned down Shahid near Jahaz Chowrangi and also murdered Esa Baloch in Clifton Block IV in 2013.

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According to the CTD official, they were also involved in target killing of Tauseef and Tanveer in Malir’s Khokhrapar in 2014. The alleged sleeper cell was running under the supervision of Syed Ausat Ali Rizvi as he also completed rekey of the personalities before assigning assassination tasks to the shooters.

Mashwani revealed that the shooters of the sleeper cell were being given Rs25,000 each in a month. He added that further investigation is underway with the arrested suspects.