KARACHI: The counterterrorism department (CTD) in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province announced on Wednesday the killing of a suspected Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant involved in a major 2013 bombing and last year’s attack on police headquarters in Karachi.
Umar Farooq, described as a TTP commander, was suspected of participating in a deadly assault on a Shia mosque in Abbas Town in March 2013, using a car bomb that killed 48 people and injured over 180.
Nearly a decade later, Karachi witnessed another major attack in February 2023 when militants laid siege to the city’s police headquarters, killing four, including two officers, in a battle claimed by the TTP.
Shortly after the second attack, police announced the killing of two militants, identifying one of them, Aryad Ullah, as the alleged mastermind.
In a statement issued earlier today, the CTD said it had acted on a tip-off and apprehended Farooq, who was waiting near Hanifia Masjid on the northern bypass of the city.
“The terrorist began firing at the police to evade arrest,” the statement said. “In the ensuing exchange of fire, he was wounded and fell down.”
The CTD informed Farooq shot a policeman in the chest, who survived because he was wearing a flak jacket.
The statement noted the TTP militant was declared a fugitive by an anti-terrorism court for his role in the police headquarters attack.
It also mentioned that a recent threat alert issued by the Sindh home office warned that Farooq had been sent to Karachi by the top TTP leadership to carry out “terrorist activities” and rebuild a network.
The statement said the TTP commander had fled to Afghanistan after his acquittal in several cases, including murder, attempted murder and militancy.
Police records show 10 cases were filed against him at different police stations in Karachi between 2013 and 2014.
Pakistan’s counterterrorism police announce killing of suspected militant involved in major Karachi attacks
https://arab.news/zdn5j
Pakistan’s counterterrorism police announce killing of suspected militant involved in major Karachi attacks
- Umar Farooq was said to be part of the 2013 Abbas Town bombing and last year’s attack on police headquarters
- The suspected militant, who was killed in a shootout, was believed to be working on rebuilding the TTP network
Pakistani migrant’s death in UAE shatters economic future of families back home
- Pakistani driver killed by falling debris during missile interception in Abu Dhabi amid escalating Middle East conflict
- Death leaves more than a dozen dependents in Pakistan without income after eight years of overseas work
ISLAMABAD: For days, Nazar Ali told his daughter-in-law a gentle lie: authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had confiscated all mobile phones and her husband, Mureeb Zaman, would call home as soon as he got it back.
In reality, Zaman, a 40-year-old Pakistani driver who had spent eight years working in the UAE to lift his family out of poverty, had already been killed by missile fragments during an aerial interception over Abu Dhabi amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The conflict began on Feb. 28 after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran following weeks of escalating tensions between Tehran and its regional adversaries. The attacks triggered retaliatory drone and missile strikes by Iran targeting commercial and US-linked interests across the Gulf region, prompting air defense systems in several countries to intercept projectiles in the skies above major cities.
As interceptors met incoming missiles over the Emirati capital that night, falling debris struck Zaman, ending years of work he hoped would secure a better future for his five children in one of Pakistan’s most volatile regions.
“I found out the same day because nowadays it is the age of the Internet,” Ali, Zaman’s father, told Arab News during a condolence gathering at his residence last week.
“I myself was in the market at that time when I received the news [of his death], but I did not tell the family.”
Zaman had been supporting three households in his hometown in Pakistan’s northwestern Bannu district, including the family of his late younger brother. The region, located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the Afghan border, has witnessed a surge in militancy and counterinsurgency operations in recent years.
The 40-year-old was one of millions of Pakistani migrant workers in Gulf countries whose remittances are a vital source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s fragile economy.
He is also among the first reported Pakistani casualties of the recent escalation. Two Pakistani nationals have been killed so far in aerial interceptions in the UAE, while another Pakistani died last week in a similar incident in Iranian waters off Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, according to authorities.
Zaman’s life abroad was measured in long-distance phone calls and carefully saved earnings, while his wife, four daughters and one son lived in a single room at their family home in Bannu.
“He used to say that ‘When I come on Eid, God willing, I will build a room for you’,” Ali, his grieving father, said.
For Zaman, working in the UAE represented an escape from the insecurity and economic hardship that have long plagued his hometown, where militant attacks targeting security forces and civilians have periodically disrupted daily life.
Family members said he had hoped to return home for the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr holiday, encouraged by military operations against militant groups in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that had raised hopes of greater stability in the region.
Adnan Gul, Zaman’s nephew, remembered his uncle as a warm and optimistic man who often spoke about building a better future for his family.
“His wish was to have a good home, a settled family, and a good, peaceful life,” Gul said.
Recalling Zaman as a cheerful man who loved food and rarely lost his temper, Gul added: “With younger people he behaved like one of them, and with elders he behaved like an elder.”
“He had many wishes, but unfortunately all those wishes remained unfulfilled.”
Now, Zaman’s death has left his extended family facing an uncertain future.
Relatives fear the loss of his income could disrupt the education of his children, who attend school while also memorizing the Holy Qur’an.
“He used to say these things and tell me ‘Not to tire yourself too much because you have already done a lot of hard work’,” Ali, his father, said, his voice trailing off.
“But such a day came that Allah Almighty once again left us [helpless], and we don’t know what will happen next.”
Buried in his hometown, Zaman is remembered through the photographs he shared with family members on WhatsApp and the Eid gifts he had already purchased before his death.
“When a person leaves this world, only memories remain,” Gul said.
