KARACHI, July 3: Police is said to have identified two women suicide bombers allegedly indoctrinated by a banned militant outfit. Sources in the police department said on Saturday that the two sisters, one 20-year-old (S) and the other 19-year-old (A), were missing since Thursday and were the nieces of the arrested Gul Hasan, who had been accused of masterminding bomb explosions at the Hyderi mosque on May 7 and at the Imambargah Ali Raza on May 31.
During interrogation, an activist of the banned Lashkar-i- Jhangvi, Gul Hasan, had told the police that he had indoctrinated Mohammad Akbar Niazi and Mohammad Ali Khatri, who blew themselves up at the Hyderi mosque and Imambargah Ali Raza. A total of 47 people were killed in the two incidents.
Gul Hasan's wife was also missing and was alleged to have been in close contact with the two missing girls. The police had suspected the girls to be the intending suicide bombers since they disappeared, the sources said.
The police have also reasons to believe that the man commanding the banned group - Asif alias Chhotu - is also reported to have been in contacts with the girls and Gul Hasan's wife.
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Saturday said that the father of the two potential women suicide bombers had been cooperating with the authorities in their efforts to arrest them.
Talking to a group of journalists after a seminar organized by the Ziauddin Medical University, the governor Sindh said that the two potential female suicide attackers were aged 18 and 20 years, respectively. An arrested suspect had tipped the police about the two potential suicide bombers, he said.
"Apparently, the wife of this key suspect had indoctrinated the two girls. And the two had left their home after telling their family members that they were about to embark on a 'noble plan'."
The governor described the girls' family members as being very responsible people, saying that they were cooperating with the law-enforcement personnel. He said the authorities were thinking about publishing the girls' photographs so that they could be identified by the public.
"But I am not saying that we will release their pictures soon. We will consider this option from several angles and then decide." He also declined to disclose the names of the two girls.
WARNING: The Karachi police have cautioned important government departments to take strict security measures at their offices and residences of highups, arrange extensive body searches and particularly arrange women staff to search women, adds APP.
The police issued these directives after sensational disclosures by the arrested terrorists of the banned Lashkar-i- Jhangvi group.
The police said that the terrorist outfit, which was involved in major terrorist acts and sectarian terrorism for the past few years, had made plans for suicide bombings in the next few days.
After the blasts at the Masjid-e-Hyderi and Masjid Ali Raza, the organization was planning to target the offices of law enforcement agencies as well as important personalities and high government officials.
Police said that in order to achieve its nefarious designs, the organisation had mentally prepared young women and girls, who would carry explosive material and go into the targeted office or meet some high official on the pretext of submitting an application and blow themselves up to kill the person concerned.
The police said that it was possible for the women suicide bombing suspects to be wearing veils or they could be young girls in school uniforms carrying schoolbags to gain access to their target.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.