KARACHI: Pakistani police said on Tuesday they had arrested a militant allegedly linked to the Iran-backed Zainabiyoun Brigade, the fourth such arrest since last December and part of what investigators say is sustained action against the outfit.
The Zainabiyoun Brigade was placed on the US Treasury’s financial blacklist in January 2019 and is believed to have sent young members of the Pakistani Shiite community to fight in Syria.
A handout issued by the counterterrorism department (CTD) on Tuesday said Syed Zakir Raza alias Nadeem was arrested in a “joint operation” by the Sindh counterterrorism police and a federal intelligence agency. He is allegedly the close associate of another Zainabiyoun Brigade-linked militant, Abbas Jafri, who was arrested last week.
According to an official handout from last week, Jafri, was trained in 2014 and, among other skills, taught to perform intelligence operations and provide medical services.
“The arrested terrorist specialized in automatic weapons and received training from a neighboring country,” the handout added, referring to Iran.
Earlier in December, CTD said it had arrested two members of the Zainabiyoun Brigade from the Qur’angi area of Karachi in connection with a string of killings over the last six years.
Tehran has not responded to the CTD’s claims.
On November 27, 2020, an AP report said a group of Pakistanis was among 19 pro-Iran militia fighters killed in eastern Syria.
Last March, a senior official told Arab News up to 50 Pakistani fighters were killed by the Turkish army and Syrian forces in a major rebel stronghold in the northwest of the country.
Pakistan arrests fourth militant linked to Iran-backed Zainabiyoun Brigade
https://arab.news/9fdks
Pakistan arrests fourth militant linked to Iran-backed Zainabiyoun Brigade
- Syed Zakir Raza alias Nadeem was arrested in joint operation by Sindh counterterrorism police and a federal intelligence agency
- He is allegedly a close associate of another Zainabiyoun Brigade-linked militant Abbas Jafri who was arrested last week
Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz among nominees for ICC’s Player of the Month award
- Nawaz scored 104 runs in ODIs and took four wickets and made 52 runs in T20Is and took 11 wickets
- South Africa’s Simon Harmer and Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam are other two nominees for the award
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz is among three of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) nominees for the Player of the Month for November award for his impressive white-ball performances last month, the global cricket body announced on Friday.
Nawaz has been in sublime form for Pakistan, instrumental in the Green Shirts’ tri-series win over Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at home last month.
He amassed 104 ODI runs at an average of 52 with a strike rate of 114.28, while also taking four wickets. In T20Is, the left-arm spinner added 52 runs and claimed an impressive 11 wickets at just 12.72 last month.
“His match-winning 3-17 in the final against Sri Lanka capped a standout campaign and secured his Player of the Series honor,” the ICC said.
South Africa’s Simon Harmer and Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam were the other nominees for the award. Harmer claimed a staggering 17 wickets at an average of 8.94 across the two tests against India in Kolkata and Guwahati.
Meanwhile, Islam picked up 13 wickets at 26.30 in the 2-0 series win over Ireland last month, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series.
