The counterterrorism department (CTD) of police in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province announced they had arrested three facilitators of a suicide attack on a Chinese engineer’s convoy last month, revealing that the mastermind of the attack was still hiding in the Chahbahar city of neighbouring country, Iran.
Proscribed terrorist outfit, Balochistan Liberation Army (commonly known as BLA) had issued a statement in August in which it claimed responsibility for the Gwadar suicide bombing which left four local children killed and injured a Chinese national.
Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had told media in August that the attack in Gwadar was carried out by a young suicide bomber who ran toward a vehicle carrying Chinese citizens as it neared a fishermen’s colony before detonating himself.
The CTD officials told this scribe that initial investigation has revealed that the suicide bomber who targeted the Chinese nationals in Gwadar had come from Iran.
The Chinese Embassy here also issued a statement after the incident, seeking “practical and effective measures” to ensure the safety of its workers in Pakistan.
CTD of the Balochistan police said in a statement it had arrested three members of BLA, a proscribed terrorist separatist outfit that claimed responsibility of the Gwadar attack, adding that one of the arrested terrorists had shared details of the incident during the preliminary investigation.
“The arrested terrorist disclosed that Rasool Bux, a resident of Sheeran Chahbahar area of Iran is the mastermind of the attack,” said the statement.
“The arrested terrorist, Arif S/o (son of) Dur Muhammad alias Durra, disclosed that his brother Ahmed had transported the suicide bomber from Ramin area of Iran. He [Arif] received the suicide bomber on his arrival on {the] night [between] 10/11th of August and provided a place for him to stay near [the] Customs Warehouse in Gwadar,” the statement added.
The CTD spokesperson said officials of his department “along with a sensitive law enforcement agency” conducted an intelligence-based operation in Turbat city of Balochistan province and arrested three suspected militants who had facilitated the attack.
“On September 21, 2021, CTD Balochistan had got a credible source information that one terrorist of BLA was present at Turbat Bazar,” the statement continued.
“The terrorist intended to carry out terrorist activity on General Public, LEAs [law enforcement agencies] and Govt Installations. On this information, [a] raid was conducted and one terrorist namely Shoaib s/o Izzat Ali R/o [resident of] Gwadar was arrested. Another raid was conducted on his pointation and two more arrests were made with recovery of explosive material.”
The CTD officials said the arrested individuals also told the interrogators that Rasool Bux, the alleged mastermind of the Gwadar incident, was also involved in transporting four other BLA terrorists who had targeted Gwadar’s Pearl Continental Hotel in 2019. The CTD spokesperson said more raids were planned to arrest the remaining members of the network.
