Security forces foil attack in Islamabad, arrest suicide bomber

ISLAMABAD: The security agencies arrested key facilitators and a suicide bomber on Tuesday who were planning to target a sensitive installation in Islamabad.

The federal capital was saved from a Bannu-Cantonment-style attack on the Defence Day. This plan was made by the group that was previously led by Khawarij Noor Wali Mehsud.

Its practical responsibility was given to a man from Qila Abdullah who had returned to his father after working in a hotel in Islamabad.

He was now working as a commander for the twin cities. The arrested suicide bomber is an Afghan national who used to work in Kabul and later joined the TTP.

According to an official involved in the investigation, the bomber received training at the ‘Al-Farooq Fidai Camp’ in Paktika province, Afghanistan.

The attacker instructor was Mukhlis Yar (aka Haji Lala), a resident of South Waziristan and a close associate of Noor Wali Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud.

Both the commander and the bomber are graduates of the same camp. The commander’s initial task was to scout out sensitive locations in the twin cities.

In June, he went to Afghanistan, where the Islamabad target was finalized.