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Terrorism-related
Incidents in Karachi - 2009
No
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Date
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Incident
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1
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January 15
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Two Policemen were killed and
11 injured in the early hours when Security Forces raided a hideout
of suspected terrorists, including local Taliban cadres, involved
in the kidnapping of an Iranian commercial attaché, as
part of a crackdown on terror. Around 35 suspects – four members
of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and others from banned
religious outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ)
– have been arrested, sources told Daily Times. The clash
took place near Yaadgar Hotel in Sohrab Goth area around 4am.
Sources said that a team of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
and the Anti-Violent Crime Unit had raided the place as part of
an investigation into the kidnapping of the Iranian commercial
attaché, Hashmatullah, but the kidnappers attacked the
team. In the consequent encounter, at least two Policemen were
killed and 11 injured. Following the clash, around 35 suspected
persons were arrested. Reuters reported that some of the detained
men had links with Baitullah Mehsud.
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2
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February 1
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An explosion in the Saddar Town killed one person
and injured two others. One unidentified man - who fidgeted with
the bomb planted in a garbage dump, which caused the explosion
- died and two others sustained injuries. According to a report
by the Bomb Disposal Squad, it was a locally-made bomb that weighed
one kilogram.
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3
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February 8
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Intelligence agencies have detained three men
in Karachi over their alleged involvement with Mohammed Ajmal
Amir Iman alias Ajmal Kasab, the lone LeT militant arrested
during the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. A source
disclosed that intelligence agencies had taken the men into custody
from different areas of Karachi in connection with their alleged
affiliation with Kasab.
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4 |
April 08 |
Police said they had arrested five members of
the banned Sunni group LeJ for allegedly plotting to bomb sensitive
areas in Karachi. "We have arrested five terrorists and seized...
weapons, explosives and chemicals required for bomb-making," Karachi
city Police chief Waseem Ahmed told a press conference. He also
confirmed the suspects belonged to the LeJ group.
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5 |
April 13 |
The CID, in collaboration with an intelligence
agency, arrested an accomplice of banned TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of the CID, Fayyaz Khan,
disclosed that 59-year-old Badshah Deen Mehsud, son of Gul Khadeen
Mehsud, a resident of Shah Noorani Goth, Karachi and South Waziristan,
was arrested from Pyala Hotel within the jurisdiction of Sachal
Police station. Badshah, who speaks Urdu and Pashto, is affiliated
with the TTP and is a close aide of Baitullah Mehsud. One of his
sons, Mehrban is also working for the TTP. "Basically, Badshah
provided logistical support to Mehsud. He was involved in various
crimes including robbing money changers and banks, and providing
vehicles and shelter to those working for TTP in Karachi," said
Khan, adding that he also provided medical treatment to the injured
associates.
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6 |
April 22 |
Security agencies imposed a curfew in Sarjani
Town after four persons were injured in a cross-fire between two
groups after pro-Taliban slogans were found painted on the walls
of a church in Karachi. At least two houses, over half a dozen
shops, pushcarts and roadside stalls were set ablaze by unidentified
men. However, Police officials declined the presence of Taliban
in the area and believed it to be a conspiracy by elements that
wanted to disturb the peace of the city.
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7 |
May 21
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The Karachi Police arrested two
suspected Al Qaeda militants and seized explosives and weapons
from their possession. The Crime Investigation Department’s SP,
Fayyaz Khan, said the suspects – Amjad Zamir Khattak alias Musarrat
alias Talha and Mohammed Asim alias Tipu Sultan alias
Babu, were arrested at Musharraf Colony near Hawkesbay following
a shootout. He said three of their accomplices - Mohammed Safir
alias Saifullah, Adnan and Abdul Hameed – escaped under the cover
of heavy fire. A suicide jacket, packed with 12 kilograms of C4
explosives, two detonators, two hand grenades and two TT pistols
along with five bullets were seized from the arrested suspects,
who originally belonged to the banned Sunni militant group LeJ
and HuJI. "They planned to target the leaders of a political
party, CID police officials, Ahmedis, offices of intelligence
agencies and the religious buildings of Shia and Ismaili communities,"
the SP said.
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8 |
May 22
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The Special Investigation Unit
of Karachi Police foiled plans for major terrorist activities
in the city by arresting six militants belonging to al Qaeda and
the TTP from an inn in Sohrab Goth. During a raid based on a tip-off,
five suicide bombing jackets, more than 10 kilograms of C-4 explosive
material, several guns, a large quantity of ammunition and electronic
items were also recovered.
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9 |
May 24
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A senior activist of the banned
SSP was shot dead in a target killing. 40-year old Allauddin was
the Lines Area Unit in-charge of the banned Sunni outfit, and
had earlier worked for the LeJ. A source in the Criminal Investigation
Department told that the deceased was currently engaged in re-organising
the SSP in Karachi. Following the incident, participants of Allauddin’s
funeral prayers started shooting guns in the air outside Imambargah-e-Ali
Raza. Subsequently, dozens of people belonging to the Fiqa-e-Jafferia
gathered on the road and started rioting by burning tyres and
pelting stones on passing vehicles.
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10 |
May 27 |
Another activist of the banned Sunni outfit SSP
was shot dead in the Aziz Bhatti Police limits of Karachi within
three days of the murder of another SSP activist. The incident
sparked tension in Gulshan Town, as armed men resorted to aerial
firing, forced the shopkeepers to pull down shutters and also
attacked Imambargahs (Shia places of worship) in the area. 38-year
old Qari Amanullah was shot dead while his son Sufian was injured
by two gunmen near a Tandur in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. According to Police,
the deceased was a former Sipah-e-Sahaba unit in-charge.
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11 |
June 5 |
A legislator from Balochistan, three of his relatives
and a servant were injured after a parcel bomb exploded in his
Defence Society house in Karachi. The explosion took place at
the residence of Mir Yaqub Bizenjo, a Member of the National Assembly
(MNA) from the Balochistan National Party (Awami). Sanaullah,
the MNA's younger brother, bore the brunt of the explosion as
he had opened the parcel. Yaqub Bizenjo's mother and a five-year-old
daughter also sustained injuries. A senior Police officer said
that three days ago a parcel was delivered at the Turbat (in Balochistan)
house of Mr Bizenjo. Another parcel was delivered later.
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12 |
June 7 |
The Karachi Police arrested an alleged member
of the outlawed TTP and seized from him 10 suicide jackets, five
of them packed with explosives. Officials said that Naeemur Rehman
was in direct contact with Hussain Mehsud, a close aide of TTP
chief Baitullah Mehsud. They said that 60 kilograms of explosive
material, 10 hand-grenades, two Kalashnikov rifles, 10 detonators
and as many fuses and 200 bullets were found in possession of
the suspect who had received training in Afghanistan. They also
said the suspect was planning to attack politicians and law-enforcement
personnel.
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13 |
June 17 |
Police arrested a terrorist from the LeJ group,
identified as Irfan Islam alias Lamba, who was wanted by
the Police and his name was reportedly listed in its Red Book
for 2009.
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14
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June 23
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The Karachi Police claimed to
have arrested five members of the banned TTP. The men were allegedly
involved in generating funds for the TTP, mainly through robberies
and kidnapping for ransom, Police officials said. A statement
issued by the office of Capital City Police Officer said raids
in two localities led to the arrest of the suspects and seizure
of arms that included two AK-47 rifles and three pistols. According
to the statement, the arrested people were identified as Pervez
alias Azeem, Faiz Rasool, Rehmat Gul, Saeed Mehsud and Farooq
Khan Mehsud. However, their six accomplices managed to escape
after an encounter with the Police. The statement said the suspects
were active members of the TTP. "Half of the money they (suspect)
got through robberies and kidnapping, was being transferred to
Maulvi Shamim through Commander Misbahuddin and Shah Hussain in
Karachi," said the statement. It said the suspects had confessed
to committing criminal activities in other parts of Sindh too.
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15
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June 26
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Police killed five suspects, believed
to be linked to Baitullah Mehsud, in an encounter in Karachi and
also recovered large cache of arms and explosives. The militants
were killed near Al-Asif Square in Sohrab Goth. Senior Police
officials said the militants were planning a terrorist strike
in the city. Superintendent of Police Rao Anwar Ahmed Khan said
the terrorists were in the guise of internally displaced persons
and were hiding in a small quarter behind a mosque near Pioneer
Garden. However, their six accomplices escaped under the cover
of fire, while taking advantage of darkness. Superintendent of
Police Anwar Khan said one terrorist was identified as Shahid
alias Shah Hussain, a Karachi based commander of the TTP.
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16
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July 12
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Two men accused of having links
with the TTP and plotting "chaotic terror activities"
have been arrested in Karachi, said Police. Police told a press
conference that they also seized a rocket launcher and other weapons
from the arrested men – identified as Sher Din alias Shero Haji
and Bakht Wali alias Bakhtay. Senior Police official Aslam Khan
said the men attacked the Police personnel when they were asked
to surrender during a raid in Quaidabad area. Following a brief
exchange of fire, the men were arrested, but three accomplices
managed to escape.
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17
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July 15
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Unidentified men killed the central
legal adviser of the outlawed Sunni group, the SSP, Hafiz Ahmed
Buksh, in Model Colony in Karachi. Buksh’s vehicle was indiscriminately
fired at when he was on his way home and his driver, Nasir, was
also killed in the attack. Saudabad Supervisory Police Officer
Farooq Sher Zaman told that the assailants used 9-mm pistols in
the attack, adding that the incident took place shortly after
the deceased left the Masjid-e-Ibrahim mosque.
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18
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July 16
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Two more activists of the outlawed
Sunni group SSP, including a guard of the group’s central leader
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Nadeem, were killed in Karachi. One of them
died at a hospital after being injured in the clash a day earlier
while another’s body was recovered from Model Colony.
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19 |
August 15 |
The CID of the Sindh Police arrested a militant
affiliated with the TTP and recovered a huge quantity of weapons
including a suicide jacket from Machar Colony of Sohrab Goth area
in Karachi in the night of August 14. Deputy Inspector General
Saud Mirza while speaking at a press conference held at Central
Police Office, disclosed that Rozuddin alias Toor, son of Sawab
Khan, hails from Tank in Waziristan and was dispatched to Karachi
by the TTP commander Qari Hussain Mehsud, who is an expert of
making suicidal jackets, with a huge cache of explosives and ammunitions
for carrying out terrorist activities, including suicide bombings
on sensitive installations, especially on CID officials. Superintendent
of Police (SP) CID, Mazhar Mashwani headed the team, which carried
out the raid on the militants' hideout told that four other militants
managed to escape when the Police party reached the spot while
police arrested Rozuddin and recovered a jacket carrying 16 kilogrammes
of explosive, 10 anti-tank shells, one launcher with four RPG-7
rockets, 10 hand grenades and five TT pistols. SP Mashwani further
said that the militants reached Karachi four days ago from Waziristan
and dumped the weapons in the house where the Police conducted
the raid.
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20
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August 23
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The Karachi Police claimed to
have arrested seven members of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). The
suspects were arrested in the Defence View area in the night of
August 22, the Deputy Inspector General of Police Saud Mirza said
at a press conference. According to him, the accused surrendered
themselves to law-enforcement agencies without putting up a resistance.
The DIG said one of the accused, Shahzad, was a close associate
of Amjad Farooqi and was involved in attacks on former President
General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and former Prime Minister Shaukat
Aziz. Police also seized three suicide jackets, 15 kilograms of
explosive material, four AK-47 rifles, four pistols, two gas masks,
five kilograms of ball bearings, 200 rounds of bullets, electric
wires, remote controls and batteries. Police is also reported
to have found about one and half kilograms of heroin. The accused
allegedly smuggled drugs to foreign countries to generate funds
for purchasing arms and ammunition and supporting families of
their accomplices who were killed or were under detention. They
also used to provide money to the Quetta-based Taliban commander
Abdul Samad.
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21 |
September 14 |
The Karachi Police foiled a possible terrorist
attack by engaging three militants, said Capital City Police Officer
(CCPO) Waseem Ahmed. According to a private TV channel, the three
militants had planned to target the Keamari Oil Refinery, but
a security guard held them off, preventing them from entering
the compound. However, the militants eventually overpowered and
killed the guard. An encounter with Police ensued, and the militants
- wearing burqas (veil) - fled at the end of the encounter. According
to the CCPO, the men left behind their three burqas and as many
Kalashnikovs, 10 magazines and hand grenades.
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22 |
September 18 |
Three persons sustained bullet injuries during
a sectarian clash which erupted at Iftar (fast breaking
evening meal) time in the precincts of Soldier Bazaar Police Station.
The clash took place between the Shia community and people belonging
to the Deobandi school of thought over the use of loudspeaker
during Iftar time.
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23 |
September 23 |
The Sindh Police recently claimed to have neutralised
a network of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) in Karachi
and arrested six members along with their 'commander'. During
investigation, it was found that the group was active in Karachi
for fund generation and had also adopted a new technique of smuggling
heroin to foreign countries.
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24 |
September 26 |
An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi
(MQM-H) was shot dead near Naeem Hospital at Malir No. 15 within
the limits of Saudabad Police station in Karachi. Police said
Mudasir, 30, was on his way on a motorbike when unidentified assailants
shot at him and managed to escape. The victim, an area distributor
of a food company, succumbed to his injuries later. The deceased
was also a supporter of the SSP and was a witness in five high
profile cases of sectarian killings.
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25 |
October 3 |
20 Taliban militants, believed to be followers
of Swat Taliban 'chief' Fazlullah, were arrested from Karachi.
Intelligence agencies said they were arrested on the basis of
information obtained from terrorists arrested earlier, adding
that they had been living in the city in the guise of internally
displaced people. "The arrests follow the acquisition of vital
information from captured Taliban," a senior official said. They
were arrested from Pathan Colony and were moved back to Mingora
at Swat in NWFP for further investigations, he said. "Eleven of
the arrested men hail from Kabal's Kuzabandai area and nine from
other parts of Kabal," the official said.
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26 |
October 13
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The Crime Investigation Department
of Sindh Police claimed to have arrested a TTP ‘commander’ from
Karachi. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Fayyaz Khan said
that the TTP commander for Matta in Swat District, Ahmed Jan alias
Ustad Jee, was arrested when the Police carried out a raid
in the Korangi Industrial Area. An unspecified quantity of illegal
arms was also recovered from his possession. SSP Khan said initial
investigation revealed that Ahmed Jan hails from Matta and is
associated with the banned militant outfits JeM and TNSM. He was
affiliated with the Hassan Ali alias Toor Mullah group,
who has reportedly been killed by the troops.
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27
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October 19
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Police arrested Akhtar Zaman,
the Karachi unit chief of the TTP, along with three accomplices,
identified as Samiullah alias Shamim, Fazal Kareem and
Munawwar Khan from a Sohrab Goth hideout. "These men had
tried to blow up an oil depot in Kemari on September 15,"
Capital City Police Officer Waseem Ahmed said, adding the militants
had planned to target the offices of security agencies using an
explosives-laden vehicle.
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28
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October 22
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The Sindh Police arrested three
suspected militants, including a Saudi citizen, from the Hassan
Square.
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29
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October 22
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The Crime Investigation Department
(CID) of Sindh Police arrested two Afghan nationals who were allegedly
running a gang of bank robbers to generate funds for the Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP). The duo - Ataullah and Dawood Afghani - were arrested
during a raid in Bilal Colony of Korangi area. An initial probe
indicated that the duo was wanted in more than a dozen cases,
including those of murder and kidnapping for ransom. Superintendent
of Police (Operations), Fayyaz Khan, said that an AK-47 assault
rifle and two hand-grenades were found in their possession. "The
accused were involved in several bank dacoities and other crimes
mainly to fund the TTP," he added.
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30 |
November 5 |
The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Sindh
Police claimed to have arrested a most wanted militant belonging
to the TTP, from a petrol station in the Sohrab Goth area of provincial
capital Karachi. The SIU officials claimed that the militant,
identified as 32-year old Umer Khan, was on number five of the
top ten most wanted list and termed his arrest a major breakthrough
in the ongoing operation against militants in the country. Khan
was the 'commander' of the Kabal-Gram area of Shangla in the Malakand
Division of NWFP. During the military operation earlier in 2009,
Umer Khan fled from Swat and came to Karachi and was working as
a petrol pump operator situated near Sohrab Goth and through a
tip-off, a special team of SIU conducted a successful raid and
arrested him from the petrol pump. One TT pistol was recovered
from his possession.
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31 |
November 11 |
The Special Investigation Unit of the Karachi
Police claimed to have arrested two members of the TTP in separate
raids. In a statement, a senior SIU official said a terror suspect,
identified as Afzal Khan, was arrested during a raid on a house
in the PIB Colony. "Afzal Khan was wanted in several cases of
terrorism in Swat," the SP, Raja Umer Khattab, said, claiming
that the suspect was a senior member of the TTP. According to
the official, the suspect hails from the Buner District of NWFP.
"He has confessed to having destroyed about a dozen government
schools in the Swat valley before the launch of a military operation
in the area," the officer stated.
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32 |
November 12 |
The Karachi Police claimed to have arrested seven
TTP militants after a shootout in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Police said
more than 300 kilograms of explosives were also seized from them.
Police said the men have been identified as Saeed Anwar alias
Molvi, Hamid Ali alias Hameesh alias Batu, Hazrat
Umer alias Ameer Sahab, Khan Wali, Khan Alam, Saifur Rehman
and Karamat Khan. Capital City Police Officer Waseem Ahmed told
reporters, "They were planning to target offices of the law enforcement
and intelligence agencies."
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33 |
November 19 |
A Shia cleric was shot dead in the Orangi Town
area, within the jurisdiction of Tori Bungash Police Station.
Police claimed it was an incident of target killing. Ghulam Muhammad
Waezi, a cleric of the Imambargah Safina-e-Ahlebait hailing from
Baltistan, which is located in the Raees Ambrohi Colony, was shot
dead by unidentified motorcycle borne assailants at Riaz Chowk
in Orangi Town. The assailants managed to escape from the incident
site.
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34 |
November 20 |
In a suspected sectarian incident, the general
secretary of the banned Sunni outfit SSP's Karachi chapter, Engineer
Ilyas Zubair, was shot dead and provincial information secretary,
Qari Shafiqur Rehman Alvi, wounded at Teen Hatti under the Jamshed
Quarters Police Station jurisdiction. The two men were going to
a mosque near Teen Hatti shrine, when unidentified men on a motorcycle
opened indiscriminate fire at them.
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35 |
December 7
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The leader of Pasban-e-Aza, a
Shia organization was shot dead by unidentified militants in a
suspected sectarian attack in the remit of the Brigade Police
Station of Karachi. The slain leader was identified as Syed Shahid
Hussain. Police quoting eyewitnesses said three unidentified suspects
barged into Hussain’s apartment in the Assistant Commissioner
Apartments, and opened fire on him using 9-mm pistols.
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36 |
December 8
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Two persons, including one FC,
were killed in separate incidents in the Karachi. Gul Maalik (35)
was shot dead by unidentified militants in the Quaidabad Police
Station of Karachi. The Police sources said that the incident
happened inside the victims’ house situated in Gulshan-i-Bunair
of Quaidabad, while he was asleep. During the investigation it
was found that the deceased was a recruit of the FC and was posted
in Abbottabad. A few days ago, he took a leave from headquarters
and came to Karachi for the construction of his house. The deceased
personnel was married and originated from Swat. The murder seems
to be a target killing incident.
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37 |
December 8
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One Naeem Qureshi (40), a leather
trader, was shot dead by unidentified militants in the Awami Colony
Station of Karachi. The Police sources said that Naeem was sitting
outside his house situated in C-Area of Landhi, when two armed
militants riding on a motorcycle came and opened indiscriminate
fire, killing Naeem on the spot, while injuring his friend Basheer
and subsequently managed to escape.
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38 |
December 13
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Four militants of the TTP, including
their ‘commander’, were arrested in the Quaidabad area of Karachi.
The arrested militants were allegedly plotting terror activities
in the city during Moharramul Haram (Islamic Religious Month)
and four hand grenades, four Kalashnikovs and three-and-a-half
kilogrammes of hashish were recovered from their possession. The
Senior Superintendent of Police (East Zone II Investigations)
Choudhry Aslam Khan said the arrested men have been identified
as Noor Wali, Niaz alias Riaz, Kher Mohammad alias Kaka and Niaz
alias Omer. Giving details about the militant’s background, Khan
said they had abducted a businessman named Zain Mehdi in Karachi,
detained him for three months and later released him after receiving
ransom money of PNR one million. Two months back, they had killed
a man named Zubair at the Sohrab Goth graveyard suspecting him
of being a Police informer. They had also robbed PNR one million
from a petrol pump in Federal B Area of Karachi.
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39 |
December 14
|
The TTP ‘commander’ for the Naugolai
area in Swat of NWFP was arrested during a raid at a hideout in
Ittehad Town, a close proximity of Karachi city. Police sources
said a Crime Investigation Department team headed by Investigations
Senior Superintendent of Police Umar Shahid arrested Rashid alias
Tooti Khan. One TT pistol was recovered from his possession. The
arrested man is believed to be a close associate of Maulvi Fazlullah
and Abu Faraj of the TTP Swat and was involved in killing law
enforcement personnel and attacking various sensitive installations
and check posts.
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40 |
December 17
|
The CID arrested one Nooran Gul
Mehsud alias Rocket, a close aide of TTP ‘chief’ Hakeemullah Mehsud
from Ramzan Goth in Karachi. Senior SSP OF CID Fayyaz Khan said
an incomplete suicide jacket, 20 kilogrammes of explosives, two
kilogrammes of ball bearings and nails each, six electric timers
and wires, and one Kalashnikov rifle was recovered from his possession.
"The man’s name is included in CID’s Red Book in the category
of most dangerous terrorists," Fayyaz Khan added. Khan said
Nooran had organised a terrorist network in Karachi on the directives
of the slain TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud. "Nooran was also
involved in an attack on an Intelligence Agency personnel and
the Anti-Violent Crime Unit in Sohrab Goth," he said. "Two
policemen were killed while several others, including AVCU chief
SSP Farooq Awan and an intelligence official were wounded in the
incident." The arrested militant was also responsible for
providing medical treatment to terrorists in the city who were
wounded while fighting the Pakistan Army in Waziristan, Khan added
further.
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41 |
December 21
|
The CID of the Sindh Police arrested
a Taliban militant from Bin Qasim Town of Karachi who is allegedly
involved in high-profile terrorism cases in Mohmand Agency of
FATA. CID Superintendent Police (Investigations) Mazhar Mashwani
said a special CID team successfully raided Bin Qasim Town and
arrested the accused Mohammad Umer after an encounter. During
the initial course of interrogation, Umer revealed that he had
been involved in several heinous cases of crime, including terrorism,
in Mohmand Agency, he added. A shotgun and five bullets were recovered
from Umer’s possession.
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42 |
December 26
|
A roadside bomb blast injured
at least 26 persons soon after a procession of mourners passed
the Khalifat Chowk in Paposh Nagar Police Station area in North
Nazimabad Town of Karachi. Karachi Capital City Police Officer
Waseem Ahmed said that it seemed that a remote controlled device
was used to detonate the bomb that weighed around half a kilogramme.
"Twenty-six people, including two rangers personnel and two Policemen
were wounded and taken to hospital. Six of them have been discharged
while others may be released soon," the Police chief said. Ahmed
added the bomb was placed close to a car parked on the road, adding
that from now on, the BDS would check all procession routes beforehand.
BDS Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdul Rauf confirmed that around half
a kilogramme of explosives was used along with ball bearings,
nuts and bolts, which also caused cracks in the ground around
the blast site. Sindh Police Criminal Investigation Department
Senior Superintendent of Police Fayyaz Khan said that it was likely
that the banned LeJ outfit and other anti-Shia elements might
have carried out the attack.
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43 |
December 28
|
A suicide bomber targeted Pakistan's
largest procession of Shiite Muslims on their holiest day of Ashura,
killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 63 persons.
The blast sparked riots in Karachi, the financial capital, where
angry mourners went on the rampage, throwing stones at ambulances,
torching cars and shops and firing bullets into the air. Tens
of thousands of Police and paramilitary forces, fearing militant
attacks on Ashura processions were deployed. "The blast was
so huge that I felt my hearing had gone, but then I started hearing
cries of injured people and saw pieces of human flesh and blood
on the road," said Abbas Ali, 35, one of the mourners thrown
to the ground. Interior Minister Rehman Malik blamed TTP, against
which the Army has been waging a major operation in near the Afghan
border, and LeJ, another of most feared Islamist networks. "At
least 30 people have been killed so far in the suicide attack
and 63 others have been injured," Provincial Health Minister
Saghir Ahmed said. "We have declared emergency at all hospitals
in Karachi and doctors are making every effort to save the injured.
The situation is very grim," he added. Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Road, where the attack happened, was ablaze with burning cars
and motorcycles, and covered in debris from buildings attacked
by rioters, said an AFP correspondent. This attack was the deadliest
in Karachi since a suicide bomber targeted the homecoming of former
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto -- who was assassinated two months
later -- killing at least 139 people in October 2007. It was the
third attack on Ashura commemorations in Pakistan in 2009. However,
The News put the death toll to 40.
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44 |
December 29
|
The death toll of December 28,
2009 suicide bomb blast during an Ashura procession on the M.A.
Jinnah Road near the Light House area of Karachi increased to
43 as 13 injured persons succumbed to their injuries.
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45 |
December 30
|
The TTP claimed responsibility
for a suicide bombing that killed 43 people in Karachi, and threatened
more attacks on "the US ally". "My group claims
responsibility for the Karachi attack and we will carry out more
such attacks within 10 days," said Asmatullah Shaheen, one
of the TTP ‘commanders’, who spoke by telephone to a Reuters reporter.
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