Afghan-trained group behind G-11 attack — main planner arrested: Atta Tarar

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Information Atta Tarar told a news conference that the suicide attack in G-11 was the result of a well-planned plan that was linked to a group based in Afghanistan. According to him, the attacker, Usman Shinwari, came from Nangarhar province of Afghanistan and was prepared to target urban areas in Pakistan.

The Information Minister said that the CTD has arrested four key aides, including Sajidullah alias Sheena, who played a key role in planning, supplying the jacket and coordinating the attack. He said that Sajidullah had been active in various Afghan training centers since 2015 and had rejoined the terrorist network after returning to Pakistan.

According to officials, the master planning of the attack was done by Noor Wali Mehsud, who is based in Afghanistan, while his commander Dadullah supervised the plan. The two leaders had tasked their networks with targeting Pakistani urban areas.

Atta Tarar said the terrorists wanted to target Rawalpindi and Islamabad but were prevented from reaching the key locations due to heightened security. “The operation was foiled due to timely intervention by our agencies and major losses were averted,” he said.

Terrorism and regional affairs experts say the involvement of the Afghan TTP network in the attack is clear evidence that organizations on both sides of the border are adopting new strategies. According to them, the recent arrests are a manifestation of strong coordination between security agencies to counter terrorism.