Islamabad police detain 13 suspects including Afghan nationals during grand search operation

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police carried out a grand search and combing operation in various areas of the federal capital under the supervision of zonal superintendents of police (SPs) to curb crime and enhance public safety.

An official said on Sunday that the operation was conducted with the participation of multiple police teams, including women police personnel, to ensure thorough checking and effective enforcement.

During the operation, police checked 236 individuals, searched 94 houses and four shops, and inspected 120 motorcycles and 47 vehicles in the targeted localities.

The official said that 13 suspicious persons, including two Afghan nationals, along with seven motorcycles, were taken to the relevant police stations for verification and further legal action.

He added that weapons with ammunition and narcotics were also recovered during the search operation.

According to the official, the operation aimed to prevent criminal activity and maintain law and order.

He said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad has issued clear directives to conduct such grand search operations across the district to eliminate crime at its roots.

Earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that security forces had arrested all individuals involved in the suicide attack on the Tarlai mosque, including the alleged Afghan national mastermind linked to the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State (ISIS).

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, the interior minister confirmed that the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arrested four facilitators during raids in Nowshera and Peshawar. He added that one security official was martyred and several others were injured during the operations.

Mohsin Naqvi further claimed that the attack was planned by ISIS elements based in Afghanistan, with external backing. According to him, both the planning and training were carried out across the border, and investigators traced the suspects through the attacker’s travel history.