A joint operation by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and a federal intelligence agency has thwarted a major terror plot in Karachi, leading to the arrest of a highly trained suicide bomber linked to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as Fitna al-Khwarij.
According to CTD officials, the terrorist, identified as Salman alias Abu Huraira, was apprehended after an intelligence-led operation targeting a covert TTP sleeper cell operating in the city. Authorities said the terrorist is affiliated with the TTP’s Maulvi Mukhlis faction and had undergone specialized suicide attack and commando training in Afghanistan.
Officials said the arrest followed a brief encounter during which security personnel successfully overpowered the suspect.
A suicide vest, photographs of sensitive locations, reconnaissance material, and maps of potential targets were recovered from the terrorist’s possession.
Investigators described the suspect as a key operative within a trained sleeper network tasked with preparing the ground for a major terrorist attack in Karachi.
According to CTD, the arrested terrorist was a close associate of the notorious terrorist Zafran alias Abu Huraira, a wanted TTP operative who was later neutralized in a security operation and carried a bounty of Rs100 million.
Authorities said both terrorists had been linked to previous attacks, including the shooting of foreign nationals working at Liberty Textile Mills in Karachi’s SITE area.
Afghanistan-Based Network
CTD officials stated that the suspect had received training in Afghanistan and was dispatched to Karachi on the instructions of Maulvi Mukhlis Yar, described as the head of the faction’s so-called “special martyrdom force.”
Investigators believe Salman arrived in Karachi alongside another terrorist identified as Idris alias Asadullah. The group’s initial objective was reportedly to carry out targeted killings before launching a larger suicide attack involving additional bombers expected to enter the city.
Officials said preliminary interrogation suggests the network maintained direct links with Afghanistan-based handlers and commanders.
Links to Previous Terror Attacks
According to investigators, members of the same network were allegedly involved in previous high-profile terrorist attacks.
One associate was reportedly among the terrorists involved in the 2025 suicide attack targeting Frontier Corps personnel in Quetta and was later eliminated. Another operative was allegedly linked to the suicide bombing at the Police Training Centre in Dera Ismail Khan during the same year and was also neutralized.
Authorities identified several other wanted terrorists connected to the network, including Sher Zaman alias Maulvi Mukhlis, described as the Afghanistan-based chief of the faction’s suicide wing, along with commanders Muhammad Shoaib Iqbal alias Muneeb Cheema and Izhar-ul-Haq alias Maulvi Hamza.
Further Arrests Expected
Two cases have been registered against the suspect under FIRs 51/2026 and 25/2026 at a CTD police station.
Officials said intensive interrogation of the arrested terrorist is ongoing and further revelations are expected regarding the group’s structure, facilitators, and operational plans.
Joint teams of CTD and the federal intelligence agency have launched follow-up operations and raids aimed at apprehending the remaining members of the network, including facilitators and target killers believed to be operating in different parts of the country.
Security officials described the arrest as a significant counter-terrorism success that may have prevented a major suicide attack in Karachi and disrupted a wider TTP-linked terror network allegedly operating under instructions from Afghanistan-based handlers.
