CTD foils major terror plot targeting railway system, five held

KARACHI: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), in coordination with an intelligence agency, has foiled a major terror plot targeting the city’s railway infrastructure, arresting five suspected militants.

DIG CTD Ghulam Azfar Mahesar identified the suspects as Jhanoor, Ali Jan, Noor Muhammad, Jamak, and Niaz, stating that explosives, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and weapons were recovered from their possession.

According to officials, the suspects are affiliated with the banned Baloch Republican Guard, which had claimed responsibility for multiple explosions in recent months in Shikarpur and Jacobabad, causing partial damage to railway tracks and train bogies.

During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to carrying out several attacks, including railway track bombings in Jacobabad and Shikarpur, as well on the Jaffar Express in Shikarpur on October 7.

Mahesar revealed that the militants received training and explosive materials from Lehri in Balochistan and used family members as cover to transport explosives to evade detection.

Authorities have formed special teams, in collaboration with intelligence agencies, to apprehend facilitators and handlers linked to the network. Officials also claimed that the group was being funded and supported by a neighboring country.

The DIG added that no major terrorist incident occurred in Sindh in 2025, attributing this to the continuous efforts of CTD, police, and other law enforcement agencies.

He further disclosed that large quantities of explosives—up to 2,000 kilograms—along with suicide bombers, including female operatives, linked to the same network had been apprehended in recent operations.